Team unity paying off for Jayhawks

By Gary Bedore     Mar 7, 2007

Kansas University’s basketball players gather around coach Bill Self in a tight circle in the locker room before practices and games.

They listen intently to their coach’s commands, then break the same way each and every time.

“We say, ‘Family,'” KU sophomore Brandon Rush said. “It’s pretty big with us.”

“We help one another, take care of one another. It’s like a brotherhood,” junior Russell Robinson said.

The Jayhawks, whose top eight players average between 32.1 (Rush) and 14.8 (Darnell Jackson) minutes a game, insist there are no jealousies on a squad that will take a 27-4 record into Friday’s 11:30 a.m. Big 12 tournament opener against either Iowa State or Oklahoma in Ford Center in Oklahoma City.

“Everybody wants to see everybody do well,” Robinson said. “Everybody is having fun playing basketball. Coach (Bill) Self is the biggest reason for that. He strokes everybody’s ego, so everybody is happy. It’s a big key that will help us win a lot more games this year.”

It’s been a team without a prolific point producer. Rush leads the way with a 13.7 scoring average, followed by Mario Chalmers (12.1), Julian Wright (12.0), Darrell Arthur (10.5), Sherron Collins (9.4), Robinson (7.0), Sasha Kaun (6.5) and Jackson (5.6).

“With a team of our caliber and balance, it’s easy for anybody to come out and be our leading scorer,” Rush said. “When one person is not having a great night, another picks it up. Nobody cares about stats.”

Or apparently number of shots.

Rush leads the team with 11.1 a game. Wright is next at 9.1 per outing, Chalmers 8.6, Arthur 8.1, Collins 6.8, Robinson 5.0, Kaun 5.0 and Jackson 3.4.

“The main thing that we want to do is win,” Wright said. “And it’s not how we win and it’s not who scores, but it’s just basically coach just wants someone to step up and make plays when needed. I think that’s pretty much how we’ve played this whole year – and even last year. I think the reason we’re doing so well this year is because everyone bought into that concept last year and it’s all starting to come to service this year as well.”

Self said though it would be nice to have one “go-to guy” everybody knows will take the key shot, it’s also nice to have a lot of balance.

Teams can’t focus on one Jayhawk player.

“I’ve said all along we have eight starters,” Self said. “Going into the Texas game, we had six different players lead us in scoring in six games. Balance is one of the strengths of our team. I like the fact we’ve won eight in a row and we’ve had eight great performers in those games.

“We have to accept that we are a team with balance and if we are in sync, we are pretty good. We need to stay focused on what ‘we’ do as opposed to what ‘I’ do and the individual things will come.”

The players insist that won’t be a problem.

“We just want to win,” Rush said. “It’s been that way all year.”

¢Praise of Barnes: KU coach Bill Self, who finished fourth in Big 12 coach of the year voting behind winner Rick Barnes (Texas), plus Bob Huggins (Kansas State) and Billy Gillispie (Texas A&M), who tied for second, lauded the UT coach.

“He has done a great job, fabulous job,” Self said. “Their team is even younger than we were last year and we started three freshmen and two sophomores. They start four freshmen and a sophomore. They can really score. You get in a scoring contest with them it’s tough to beat them.

“He has them playing tough, confident. He has done as good a job as anybody in our league has done for sure.”

¢Arthur has virus: KU freshman Darrell Arthur has been slowed by a virus this week.

“He didn’t feel good yesterday. Hopefully it has run its course,” Self said Tuesday. “Hopefully antibiotics have taken care of it.”

Arthur was at practice Tuesday and hasn’t had to miss any class because of the virus.

¢Funny video: Self said he was entertained by the “You Tube” video of former KU player Nick Bahe impersonating Self, as well as Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski and Creighton’s Dana Altman. Bahe, a former KU player now at Creighton, is a journalism major.

“What a great kid,” Self said, noting Bahe attended KU’s game against Nebraska in Lincoln the past two years and has entered the KU locker room to visit with the players and coaches after each of the two wins.

To see the video, go to youtube.com and type in “Creighton Basketball Half-Time Interview” in the search engine.

Bahe averaged 3.1 points a game (he hit 25 of 60 threes, 41.7 percent) in 32 games for 22-10 CU, which won the Missouri Valley Tournament and has earned an automatic NCAA Tournament bid.

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