Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Travis Releford lasted all of five seconds before hitting the deck.
Immediately after checking in midway through the first half of Tuesday night’s 85-45 victory against Florida Gulf Coast, the freshman stood in the lane with the Eagles 6-foot-10 center George Erkvania coming right at him. He stepped up, planted his feet, and took the charge.
“That’s Travis,” said guard Sherron Collins. “That’s just him, day in and day out.”
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Kansas Basketball vs. Florida Gulf Coast
Releford said he felt a lot less nervous compared with the Jayhawks’ season-opener on Sunday night and wanted to contribute on the defensive end right away.
“That’s what my game is,” Releford said. “Getting in and making stops.”
But don’t let Releford fool you. While he has the makings to be an above-average college defender, the 6-foot-5 guard can hold his own on the offensive end as well.
Releford had eight points on 4-of-8 shooting in just 15 minutes of action. He also had two offensive rebounds.
“I’m just doing my role,” Releford said. “Coach wants me to make plays on the defensive end and help get extra possessions.”
Though Releford seemed passive in the two exhibition games and the win against UMKC on Sunday, he was much more aggressive on Tuesday. He drove the lane several times and seemed more comfortable within the KU offense.
“Coach stays on me about that,” Releford said. “Being more aggressive — coming off the pick and looking to score.”
The highlight of Releford’s night came when he and fellow freshman Tyshawn Taylor ran the floor on a two-on-one break. Taylor fed a cross-court bounce pass to the Kansas City, Mo., native who slammed it home for the dunk and was fouled on the play.
“It was a good pass by Tyshawn,” a modest Releford said afterward. “I just got out and ran the floor and he made a good pass and I finished it.”
Though coach Bill Self was slow to praise Releford after Tuesday’s game, saying the ball stuck in his hands too much, players know that as Releford continues to improve, so will his minutes and contributions to the team.
“We’re going to keep seeing more and more of him if he keeps playing consistently,” Collins said. “He’s a defensive presence. He can block shots and he will get a lot of rebounds and loose balls. He creates havoc. I’m pretty happy with Trav.”
— — Edited by Mary Sorrick
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