Monday, March 17, 2008
Russell Robinson sat in the locker room after Kansas’ third consecutive Big 12 tournament title and let people in on a little secret. It seems Brandon Rush’s Big 12 tournament Most Outstanding Player award might have been the product of another tongue lashing from Kansas coach Bill Self.
Kansas trailed Nebraska 27-22 at halftime of the Jayhawks’ Friday quarterfinal. Rush had three-points and had been a non-factor. So Self did something he’s prone to do – he challenged Rush. He pleaded with his junior guard to rebound, defend and to be more aggressive on offense.
“I took it to heart,” Rush said.
Rush responded. Starting with the second half of the Nebraska game, Robinson said Rush looked like a new player.
He played like one too. Rush poured in a career-high 28 points against Texas A&M in the semi-final game on Saturday and added 19 points, including six three-pointers, on Sunday.
“He’s a gamer,” Robinson said. “Coach gets on him sometimes, ‘Hey bring it in practice, bring it in practice’, and he does, he tries. But when the games on the line, and we need to make big shots, Brandon is there.”
Rush has made a habit of showing up in big games. One example: the Kansas City, Mo., native led the Jayhawks with 18 points in Kansas’ Elite Eight loss to UCLA last March. Rush also scored 24 points against Kansas State on March 1st.
“I don’t know if it’s big game mentality,” Self said, when asked what motivated Rush. “I hope it is.”
After the game Rush took the stage at the Sprint Center and accepted his MVP award. Just miles from his childhood home, Rush said he had “about six or seven” close family members in attendance.
“It felt good, just show my family and the whole Kansas City crowd,” Rush said.
That was about all the emotion Rush showed on Saturday.
“You know Brandon’s the kind of humble guy, he really don’t care,” Robinson said. “The main thing about him, he just wants to win.”
Self doesn’t totally buy Rush’s cool, calm exterior. Self has spent nearly three years pestering Rush to be more aggressive – to assert himself. He’s still doing it. But Self said Rush has something inside of him that people don’t see.
“I do think he’s got a competitive spirit about him that he doesn’t show outwardly,” Self said.
Rush sat surrounded in the spacious Sprint Center locker room. More and more, it’s becoming apparent: this is Rush’s team. And Rush said he feels the pressure to take his team deep into March.
“We got to make it happen,” Rush said. “Because we’re not ever going to have a team like this again.”
This is the senior’s last dance and other guys on the team will most likely be leaving for the NBA, Rush admits. Rush is one of those other guys. The NBA has always been Rush’s dream.
The NBA called his name last season. A knee injury was the only thing that forced him back to Lawrence.
Still in uniform, with his back pressed against a chair, Rush said he felt right at home inside the Sprint Center.
“It’s the spotlight,” Rush said. “The big arenas.”
Brandon Rush has always like the big arenas.
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