Kansas coach Bill Self has a good record of making 3-pointer-related predictions recently.
Before KU lost to BYU last week, he had foretold the exact amount of 3s each team could potentially make — three for the Jayhawks and 13 for the Cougars — in his press conference the previous day, and turned out to be exactly correct.
He thought he had hit on a happier prediction Tuesday night when senior guard Nick Timberlake connected from deep with four minutes to go and KU already blowing out rival Kansas State.
“I saw his family, they were out taking pictures at midcourt about 4:30 today … I said he’s going to make five (3s) tonight,” Self said postgame Tuesday.
He thought that last one was the fifth. It was in fact the fourth — the first time a KU player has made four 3s in a game since the Jayhawks played Yale on Dec. 22 — as Timberlake had already made three previous 3-pointers, a dunk and a pull-up jumper, in all tallying a season-high 18 points.
Just not quite 21.
“I turned to the family and I did ‘five,'” Self recalled postgame, holding up his hand, “and they all did it back to me.
“And so they can’t count either. Neither one of us can count.”
One thing Timberlake himself can count: three straight wins on senior nights. He is, after all, a sixth-year senior thanks to a redshirt year and a COVID-19 year, and said he had two senior nights already at Towson, before he got honored at Allen Fieldhouse and delivered a speech following KU’s 90-68 win over K-State, in which he got a ceremonial start.
“3-0 on senior night, which is probably one of the rare things in college basketball right now,” Timberlake said postgame. “A record I’m happy about.”
The 18-point performance on 6-for-7 shooting was all the more improbable because it came after a two-point first half that also featured a 15-second, abortive shift on the court during which the Wildcats hit a 3-pointer. Somehow despite that it ended up being one of Timberlake’s most memorable performances since arriving at KU — an impressive feat for a player who has already had two high-flying dunks this season.
“He’s been a little bit up and down with his shooting this year,” Self said as he introduced Timberlake for his senior speech postgame. “Gosh, was that fun to watch tonight.”
His teammates found the performance similarly gratifying.
“A lot of the players aren’t really surprised by it,” center Hunter Dickinson said. “I feel like some fans might be, but I think the players aren’t really surprised when Nick goes out there and plays like that because we see the work he puts in.”
Guard Kevin McCullar Jr., another of KU’s senior honorees, noted Timberlake’s progress in evolving to be more than just a shooter.
“Everybody can criticize making shots, but he affects the game in many other ways,” McCullar said. “He’s coming in, he’s working. Last person to leave the gym, getting shots up, that’s all you can ask.”
Timberlake also attributed the breakout to his consistent work.
“This is definitely not the year that I dreamed of having coming here,” he said, “but to have that happen tonight definitely felt great.”
The onus on him now is to continue the progress going forward. Past apparent breakout games for Timberlake — 13 points on Dec. 22 against Yale with Johnny Furphy unavailable, 12 points in 13 minutes at West Virginia on Jan. 20, 13 points and a highlight-reel dunk against Texas on Feb. 24 — haven’t necessarily manifested into multi-game stretches. For example, he followed up the Texas game with a 1-for-9 showing against BYU and then went 0-for-1 in just seven minutes at Baylor.
“Hopefully tonight just sparked something,” he said in his senior-night speech.
Kansas guard Nicolas Timberlake (25) smiles as he addresses the Fieldhouse crowd during the Senior Night speeches on Tuesday, March 5, 2024 at Allen Fieldhouse. Photo by Nick Krug
Kansas guard Nicolas Timberlake (25) and Kansas center Hunter Dickinson (1) defend against a turnaround from Kansas State guard Cam Carter (5) during the second half on Tuesday, March 5, 2024 at Allen Fieldhouse. Photo by Nick Krug
Kansas guard Nicolas Timberlake (25) roars after a three against Kansas State during the second half on Tuesday, March 5, 2024 at Allen Fieldhouse. Photo by Nick Krug
Kansas guard Nicolas Timberlake (25) squares up for a shot over Kansas State guard R.J. Jones (8) during the first half on Tuesday, March 5, 2024 at Allen Fieldhouse. Photo by Nick Krug
Kansas guard Nicolas Timberlake (25) celebrates after making a three-point basket during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Kansas State Tuesday, March 5, 2024, in Lawrence. Kansas won 90-68.
Kansas guard Nicolas Timberlake (25) celebrates after making a three-point basket during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Kansas State Tuesday, March 5, 2024, in Lawrence. Kansas won 90-68.
AP Photo/Charlie Riedel
AP Photo/Charlie Riedel