Manhattan, Kan. — To pull off what Kansas did, you need a player like Sherron Collins.

The kind of heroics Collins pulled in the second half and overtime of the 81-79 victory against Kansas State Saturday is a feat few would even attempt.

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Kansas Basketball vs. Kansas State

Photos from Saturday nights 81-79 overtime victory at Bramlage Coliseum in Manhattan. The Jayhawks were led by Aldrich's 18 points and 11 rebounds.

“He’s the best player in America to me,” junior Brady Morningstar said. “He’s huge for us in the clutch. When we need a score, we give the ball to him and he goes and does what I call ‘makes money.’”

With Marcus Morris fouling out of the game and Cole Aldrich trying to avoid the same fate, the Jayhawks needed their leader to take over.

But when Collins limped off the court late in the second half because of cramps, the Jayhawks were without a hero.

But take the locker room return against Memphis and the game-winning play against Cornell, and you have Collins’ latest masterpiece.

“He has a flair for the dramatic,” coach Bill Self said.

Collins returned to the game with about a minute left with the Jayhawks leading 77-76. Self drew up the same plan against Cornell and it had the same result: layup and foul.

“Really, I was just trying to get fouled and get to the line, but it was open so I scored it,” Collins said.

With 16 points and four assists, Collins said he left the game because of his pregame antics.

“I think I wasted too much energy just waiting on the game,” he said. “Coach had to tell me in pregame to calm down.”

During a collision, Collins said he tweaked his ankle, but it was unrelated to the cramping that took him out.

Aldrich had 18 points and 11 rebounds, but had to play soft so he wouldn’t foul out during crunch time. Morris had 13 points and 10 rebounds and fouled out with about four minutes to go in regulation.

But Aldrich didn’t worry about who was going to take the last shot.

“If anybody, I want Sherron taking the shot,” he said. “I love Sherron. We’ve been through so much and I’ve got all the confidence in him in the world.”

The game was a back and forth battle with 20 lead changes.

The Jayhawks settled for a 31-30 lead at the break after squandering an opportunity to score on the final possession.

The second half was a battle of grit and resolve and both teams responded well to the pressure.

“Coach said no one can question our toughness now,” Collins said. “This was a game of toughness.”

Nursing a three point lead with under a minute to go, Tyshawn Taylor made a clutch steal and the Jayhawks were poised to seal it. Taylor turned the ball back over to K-State and Rodney McGruder had a layup and a foul to tie the game at 69-69.

In overtime, the Wildcats and Jayhawks matched each other blow for blow until Collins' heroics.

“We puttered around there late and of course made a lot of great individual plays after the game, Sherron’s being the biggest,” Self said.