The most impressive effort by Texas freshman Kevin Durant last week against Texas Tech wasn’t his 37 points or 23 rebounds. Or the fact he played all 40 minutes.
It’s what Durant said afterward.
“The first thing Kevin asked the coaches was, ‘How was my defense?”‘ Texas assistant Russ Springmann said Monday on the weekly Big 12 coaches teleconference.
Durant wasn’t joking or being flippant. Following the best individual performance by a men’s basketball player in the league’s 11-year existence, the 6-foot-9 forward genuinely was concerned about contributing enough at the other end of the court in the Longhorns’ 76-64 victory Wednesday.
“Kevin wants to be special,” Springmann said. “He wants to not just be a very good player. He wants to be one of the best.”
Considering Durant put up those numbers in a hostile environment at Lubbock, against Bob Knight’s chest-to-chest defense and a Texas Tech team that had been playing its best basketball of the season after recent home wins over Kansas and Texas A&M, Durant’s performance ranks among the greatest in college hoops during recent years.
Research by ESPN agrees. Durant became only the eighth Division I player with a 30-point, 20-rebound effort since the 1996-97 season, and Durant’s stats top the list. Oklahoma State’s Mario Boggan had 37 points and 20 rebounds against Texas on Jan. 16.
But Boggan’s effort came in a three-overtime home game.
With the length of a power forward and skill set of a point guard, Durant began this week leading the Big 12 by wide margins in scoring (33.1) and rebounding (13.8) for league games. He was shooting 47.2 percent from 3-point range.
“It’s going to take NBA players to slow him down, and I’m not sure they’re going to do a good job, either,” Texas A&M coach Billy Gillispie said prior to facing Durant on Monday night.
Super sub
In no surprise, the ringleader of Kansas State’s current seven-game winning streak has been senior forward Cartier Martin, a second-team all-Big 12 selection last season. The big news is Martin is coming off the bench as the Wildcats’ sixth man.
Martin has scored 20 or more points in three of his past four games and hit the game-winning 3-pointer Saturday in an upset at Texas.
First-year Wildcats coach Bob Huggins was asked Monday if it was difficult to convince Martin to become a super sub.
“I don’t do a lot of convincing,” Huggins said, drawing laughter. “It was the best thing for our team.”
Need to finish
For each team’s final nine possessions during Texas A&M’s 69-66 win Saturday at Kansas, the Jayhawks scored four points compared to 15 for Texas A&M.
The Aggies, becoming the first Big 12 South team to win in Lawrence since the Big 12 was established, overcame a 10-point deficit in the final 6 1/2 minutes.
“The thing that disappoints me most,” Kansas coach Bill Self said Monday after reviewing the tape, “is that we didn’t even have to score if we just made (defensive) stops.”
Big start
Baylor 7-1 freshman center Josh Lomers is getting more playing time. He recorded a career-best 13 points Saturday in a loss at Iowa State. When he was recruited, Lomers picked Baylor over Colorado.
Tom Kensler can be reached at 303-954-1280 or tkensler@denverpost.com.
