Marcus Morris first started to become familiar with his teammates in pickup games over the summer.

NCAA rules prohibit coaches from holding official practices so the Jayhawks, like most teams, spent hours of their time splitting into teams and playing against each other informally at Allen Fieldhouse. Morris, a freshman forward, learned early that he wanted sophomore guard Brady Morningstar on his side. The guy could shoot.

“I didn’t see him missing too many shots when we were playing pickup so I thought he was going to be a great player,” Morris said. “But I didn’t know he’d be a great defender.”

Add Morris to the list of Kansas players, fans and coaches surprised by the emergence of Morningstar. The hometown product — Morningstar grew up in Lawrence and attended Lawrence Free State High School — has started in every game this season and has played more minutes than everyone except junior guard Sherron Collins.

No one is more excited about it than Kansas coach Bill Self, who called Morningstar “a very pleasant surprise.”

Morningstar ranked as one of the least-heralded recruits of Self’s tenure at Kansas when he committed in 2006 after spending a year at prep school in New Hampshire. Fans questioned whether he would ever be able to contribute significantly. Self heard the doubt.

“Let’s call it like it is,” Self said. “When we recruited him, a lot of people said, ‘Can he help you guys?’ And here he is — where would we be without him? He’s been very, very valuable to us.”

Although Morningstar averages seven points per game, it’s his defense that has Self raving. Self said Morningstar had been the team’s best perimeter defender “without question.”

Morningstar usually defends the opponent’s best guard. And he usually excels. Morningstar held both Siena’s Edwin Ubiles and Michigan State’s Raymar Morgan to less than their scoring averages in two of Kansas’ last three games.

Perhaps his finest performance came in the defeat at Arizona, where Morningstar held All-American candidate Chase Budinger to five points — 12 below his season average. Morningstar is likely to play a similar role by guarding Cory Higgins, Colorado’s leading scorer at 17.5 points per game, when Kansas tips off in Boulder, Colo., on Saturday at 2:30 p.m.

“I’ve drilled into my head that in order to help my team, I can’t let my man score,” Morningstar said, “whoever I’m guarding that night — whether it’s the best player or the leading scorer.”

Self cites numerous reasons why Morningstar has transformed into the Jayhawks’ top defender. He’s always in good position. He always gets a hand in the face of the shooter.

Even though Morningstar averages fewer than three rebounds per game, Self says he’s one of the best Jayhawks at blocking out his man.

“I’ve learned you have to play defense to win games,” Morningstar said. “That’s pretty much what it comes down to.”

But that’s not all he’s contributed. To Self, taking care of the ball is just as important as locking down defensively.

Morningstar leads the team in turnover-to-assist ratio, tallying nearly three assists for every turnover. He hasn’t committed a turnover in the last three games.

Marcus Morris still hasn’t gotten an opportunity to see Morningstar miss many long-range jumpers. Morningstar has converted on 46 percent of his three-pointers, which makes him the third most efficient three-point shooter in the Big 12.

“If you told me before the season we’d be getting out of Brady what we’re getting out of him,” Self said. “I would have thought he must have elevated his game in a number of ways.”

He has. Morningstar has transformed from a redshirt a season ago to the Jayhawks’ premiere defensive stopper and three-point bomber.

And according to Marcus Morris, a solid teammate for a pickup game.

— — Edited by Mary Sorrick