Durant ranks among all-time college greats

By Gary Bedore     Mar 2, 2007

Texas forward Kevin Durant, right, drives against Texas A&M guard Dominique Kirk, left, on Wednesday. Durant is drawing comparisons to some of college basketball's all-time greats.

Some college basketball experts have compared ultra-talented Texas freshman Kevin Durant with the leading scorer in Kansas University history.

That’s right: Danny Manning.

Before KU fans express their disgust at such heresy … they might consider the comments of Manning himself.

“He’s so much better than me as a player, there’s not even a comparison,” Manning, KU’s director of student-athlete development, said Thursday.

“This guy is scoring 30 points a game, getting 12-plus rebounds, a couple assists, blocks. He is filling up the stat sheet. I didn’t produce the numbers as a senior that he is producing now. He is a great player.”

The 6-foot-9, 225-pound Durant will take a 24.9 scoring, 11.5 rebounding average – 28.7 points and 12.7 boards in 15 league games – into Saturday’s KU-Texas contest (11 a.m., Allen Fieldhouse).

Manning averaged 14.6 points and 7.6 rebounds as a freshman; 24.8 points and 9.0 rebounds as a senior.

“No,” Manning said, asked if Durant was the best college player he’s “ever seen.”

“It depends what your criteria is. Mine will be different from yours. I like Oscar Robertson. I like Magic Johnson. I like Larry Bird. Those are the guys I grew up watching so those are the guys I like. Kevin Durant is definitely in that echelon,” Manning said.

Suitland, Md., native Durant has so much natural talent KU coach Bill Self voted him preseason Big 12 player of the year.

“I said from the beginning he’s the most talented guy to ever play in the Big 12. It’s played out to be true regardless of age,” Self said.

“Which freshmen have even rivaled what he’s done? Wayman Tisdale was AP All-American his freshman year. He averaged 25 (points) and was a great rebounder, but didn’t do the multiple things Kevin does. You look at the great years individuals have had: Danny as a senior; David Robinson as a senior; Elton Brand as a junior; Jason Williams as a juior; Christian Laettner as a junior and senior. You can list all the others, they wouldn’t be better than this guy. He is a joke, a joke,” Self exclaimed.

It’s high praise from a person who realizes staff member Manning is one of college basketball’s all-time greats.

“Danny took his team and won a national championship, and that’s six important games,” Self said. “Kevin is good enough to take his team and win a string of games in the tournament. Both will be national player of the year. But then we don’t know what Kevin and his team’s performance will be in the tournament. However he is capable of anything.”

¢ Why not KU?: Self tried to recruit Durant, a Suitland, Md., native who attended Montrose Christian High in Rockville, Md.

“We sent him a questionaire, and he never returned it. I don’t think we were ever in there,” Self said.

¢ Net cutting possible: KU, 13-2, has already assured itself a share of the school’s 50th conference championship, most league titles of any team in the country. Kentucky is No. 2 with 49 championships.

The Jayhawks can win the Big 12 title outright by tripping Texas (12-3) on Saturday, which begs the question: Will the players clip the nets if KU wins?

“Well, yes, if we win … sure,” Self said. “I don’t have a problem with that at all.”

What if KU loses and ties for the title? “No,” he said sternly. “No celebration (in that case).”

Sophomore Brandon Rush said clipping the nets as league champion would be unforgettable.

“I think I’d be pretty excited about that. I’ve never cut down nets here on our own court,” Rush said.

He and his teammates did clip the nets in Dallas after beating Texas in the Big 12 tournament title game last March.

“I think they (fans) would love it. I think they’d love it a lot, just to see us do that and be a part of it,” Rush added. “We don’t want to share the championship, so we’re going to come into this game focused and try to get a big win against a young, talented team like Texas.”

The Big 12 reportedly will be bringing two trophies to Lawrence, just in case the Longhorns win. A year ago, the Jayhawks had no trophy to hoist after clinching a share of the crown at Bramlage Coliseum in Manhattan.

¢ Will Self start Russell Robinson or Sherron Collins at the point on Saturday?

“I don’t know yet. I’ve not talked to the guys about it yet. We’ll do what’s best for the team,” Self said.

Regular starter Robinson missed one game and came off the bench in Monday’s victory at Oklahoma because of a sprained right foot.

“This week in practice will probably dictate how that goes,” Robinson said. “I’ve been practicing pretty well. I’ve just got to continue to go hard. It’s not 100 percent yet. It’s a little sore, nothing too severe.”

¢ Here’s to you, Mrs. Robinson: Robinson’s parents will make the trip from New York to Kansas for Saturday’s home finale.

“It’s the first time for my mom in the fieldhouse. My dad has been here before,” Robinson said. “It’ll be a big game for them to watch. I think they’ll enjoy it a lot. I’ll be fired up anyway. I’ll be a lot more excited to see them in the stands.”

¢ 1,899 and counting: KU will be trying for the 1,900th win in program history on Saturday. KU has an all-time mark of 1,899-781. Kentucky entered Thursday No. 1 on the list with 1,946 wins, followed by North Carolina (1907), KU and Duke (1,818).

¢ Kaun honored: KU junior Sasha Kaun was named to the 2007 Academic All-Big 12 first team Thursday. Kaun also was on the first team a year ago. In all, 22 players were honored, nine on the first team (3.2 grade-point average or better). The complete list is on page 7C.

¢ ESPN.com’s Andy Katz was in Texas’ locker room immediately after the Longhorns’ 98-96 double-overtime win over Texas A&M on Wednesday in Austin, Texas.

“We’re one game away from winning the Big 12,” Barnes told his team. “We can go to Kansas and win the Big 12 outright. Why not us?”

¢ Visitors on Saturday: Willie Warren, a 6-foot-2, 180-pound junior guard from North Crowley High in Fort Worth, Texas, will attend Saturday’s game on an unofficial recruiting visit. Warren, the No. 22-rated player in the Class of 2008, told rivals.com KU leads Arkansas. Warren, who averaged 26.0 points, 5.0 assists and 3.7 steals this past season, also has received offers from Baylor, Cincinnati, Florida, LSU, Texas and Texas A&M. Ex-Jayhawk Keith Langford is a graduate of North Crowley. … Ex-Jayhawk Howard Engleman also will attend and be introduced to the crowd.

¢ Senior Day: KU has no seniors to honor on Senior Day for the first time since the 1975-76 season.

“We do have (team) managers that we’ll honor,” Self said. “If you look at it we’ll have two teams fighting for a conference championship Saturday, and I would say the 10 leading scorers in the game will be freshmen or sophomores. That’s a pretty talented young game.”

¢ Barnes impressed: Texas coach Barnes on KU’s 50 conference titles:

“Well, I could say, ‘Why don’t they win one every year?'” he cracked. “I’ve always said what makes a great program is not one, two or three seasons but over time. You look at programs considered storied programs and what you see is consistency. Every year they are there. You talk Kansas, Kentucky, North Carolina … you are surprised when they are not in the mix. Kansas we know is one of the best basketball programs ever.”

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