Mike Easterday, who had purchased at an auction for the Lawrence Community Shelter the pleasure of selecting 10 children to participate in the clinic donated by the Manning family at the fundraiser, let the children know they were sitting on a floor that had very special meaning in 1988. Easterday, grandfather of birthday boy Jacob Pavlyak, asked the children if they knew why 1988 had significance.

Only one of the boys had an answer.

“World War II,” the boy shouted, providing an Art Linkletter moment.

“No,” Easterday corrected and let the children know that the man standing before them led Kansas to a national title at Kemper Arena on the hardwood floor that later was transported to Haskell and painted.

John Henry

Pavlyak, 9, hit the winning shot, a 16-footer, that concluded the scrimmage that matched the 10 boys against Manning and his three assistant coaches for the clinic, daughter Taylor, son Evan, and Manning’s Lawrence High coach, Ted Juneau, acting men’s basketball coach at Haskell.

Quietly, the way Danny prefers to do everything, the Manning family has been involved in fundraising efforts for the shelter for several years.

“My wife (Julie) actually brought it to our family’s attention,” Manning said. “During the summers, when I was playing professional basketball, this was always our home. Julie did some decorating around the house and had some things she wanted to get rid of but didn’t want to throw them away. She struggled finding the right place and finally ran across the shelter, liked the program they have and liked how they are helping the community of Lawrence.”

Those involved with the shelter appreciate that Julie and Taylor Manning prepare a meal once a month, deliver it to the shelter, and if there is a shortage of servers that night, stay and serve meals.

“We’re fortunate, we’re blessed,” Manning said. “We try to help out where we can and when we can.”

If the boys at the clinic had been ninth-graders instead of third-graders, Manning would have been in violation of NCAA rules because the boys would have been considered potential recruits.

It’s one of the many rules Manning must know in his new role as full-time assistant to Bill Self. Manning has added recruiting to his list of duties and is now allowed to instruct players during practices.

“I’m still learning the off-the-court stuff,” Manning said. “That’s the biggest adjustment to me. On the court I feel fine. I feel very comfortable teaching and sharing. It’s the off-the-court issues with the rule book and things of that nature. You should check with compliance before you breathe. That’s the mentality I’ve pretty much adopted.”

Manning will join Self on home visits later this month.

“I’m looking forward to that,” Manning said. “It definitely will be interesting.”

The NCAA rules aren’t so cold that they restrict a father from watching his children’s games.

Watching Taylor, a junior in high school, and Evan, a ninth-grader, put the basketball in the right hands at the right time at the clinic, it’s clear they have some of their father’s feel for the game, which he inherited from his father, Ed, who played for three NBA teams and three ABA franchises during a nine-year pro career.

“I learned pretty much everything I know about the game from my father,” Danny said of Ed, an assistant to Larry Brown during Danny’s career at Kansas. “There are things a lot of different coaches showed me, but the foundation had been laid by my father. I enjoyed going to his games and to his practices.”

The years haven’t dulled Danny’s passion for the game.

“I enjoy watching basketball no matter what level, whether it’s little kids, women, high school kids : I enjoy watching a game, and I feel there is always something I can learn and pick up every time I watch,” Manning said.

He remains close with Juneau, whose family also is active in volunteering for the shelter, and said he thinks the Haskell players are lucky to have him on the bench.

“I think this will be a great experience for them,” Manning said. “I think anytime you have a coach who comes in and cares and wants you to become a better person and a better player and will push you and challenge you on the court and off the court, you’re going to have success.”

Likewise, the KU post players are aware of the knowledge they can glean from Manning.

“Coach Manning gets respect from everybody,” senior Darnell Jackson said. “If he gets onto you, nobody talks back. He knows what it takes. All the coaches know what it takes. He’s been there. He won a championship. He went on to the next level. When he tells us how to play the game of basketball, we all get quiet because he knows what he’s talking about.”

One lesson the players will learn from Manning is that they are fortunate to have the skills they have, and those who are fortunate need to find the time to help those less fortunate, the way the Manning family helps the Lawrence Community Shelter. When listing those who benefit from that choice, don’t forget the 10 third-graders who had a blast bouncing basketballs for two hours on Labor Day.