Darnell Jackson slowly climbed up the ladder, snipped a piece of the net and smiled at his friends and family in the stands.

They watched excitedly as the junior forward celebrated his team’s second straight Big 12 Tournament Championship just as they had earlier when he blocked Texas guard D.J. Augustin and sank two big free throws down the stretch.

But the clutch play in front of the hometown didn’t make Jackson cocky. He knew Kansas’ 30-4 season and championship were about more than his performance at the end.

“No heroes, there’s no heroes on this team,” Jackson said. “It just feels really good to win.”

The Jayhawks may not have heroes, but they do have several players like Jackson who can step up. Kansas battled back from a 22-point deficit and 37 points from Texas forward Kevin Durant for an 88-84 victory. It was the biggest comeback in school history and the Jayhawks’ fifth Big 12 Tournament Championship.

“Guy after guy made big play,” Kansas coach Bill Self said. “Julian played out of foul trouble and made some big plays. Mario was kind of laboring around and the next thing you know he controls the game for a short period of time. And Darnell stepped up.”

Jackson played 26 minutes, including 18 in the second half and overtime, but his biggest contribution came near the very end.

With 13 seconds left and the Longhorns down 84-81, Augustin shook his defender and appeared to have a clear path to the basket. Jackson, who was playing a defense designed to free him for blocks, shied off his man and approached Augustin.

“I just told myself if he drives to jump straight in the air and not foul him,” Jackson said. “He let it go, and I ended up coming up with a blocked shot.”

He also came up with the ball. Jackson caught it, got fouled by Augustin and sank both of his free throws. The shots stretched Kansas’ lead to five, and a late three-pointer by Texas didn’t matter.

Jackson only sealed the deal. He wouldn’t have had the chance if not for Mario Chalmers. The sophomore guard made a three-pointer with about 13 seconds left. He peeled off a screen from sophomore forward Julian Wright and had a wide-open look.

”It was the biggest thrill of my life,” Chalmers said. “They focused more on Brandon and Sherron and left me wide open.”

Texas had to focus on those two because they had been equally as hot. Freshman guard Sherron Collins broke out of a slump in a big way with 20 points and three assists. Before Sunday, he only had 18 total points in his last four games. Like he did earlier this season at Kansas State and Missouri, Collins played his best in a close, important game.

“We had no chance to win unless he was real good today,” Self said. “He was fabulous. Today he just felt like the game was his. I love it when he’s in the attack mode like that.”

The only performer better than Collins Sunday, Self said, was Durant. Sophomore guard Brandon Rush spent most of the day trying to stop the Texas freshman.

Durant started strongly just like he did against Kansas on March 3. He scored 22 points in the first 15 minutes of the first half. After that, Rush didn’t allow him to make another field goal until nearly midway through the second half.

“Durant has the quick release,” junior guard Russell Robinson said. “I think Brandon was able to take away the shot and take away the drive.”

Durant’s absence from the scoreboard allowed Kansas to come back. The Longhorns’ reliance on one player was one of the major reasons they lost. That’s not something the Jayhawks will have to worry about as they prepare for a run in the NCAA tournament. They’ve found out all season and especially on Sunday that they have plenty of guys who can make a difference.

“Everyone feels like they can produce and help the team,” Wright said. “Anybody can step up at any time, make a shot and do something. That’s pretty much been our identity this year.”

Kansan sportswriter Mark Dent can be contacted at mdent@kansan.com.

— Edited by Carissa Pedigo