Wearing a stocking cap and Kansas University basketball sweat shirt, Jeff Hawkins held a sub sandwich, preparing to devour a post-game snack late Tuesday night at Allen Fieldhouse.

Hawkins, KU’s red-shirt freshman guard, had a hearty appetite and wide smile on his face just 40 minutes after experiencing some scary chest pains in KU’s 101-66 victory over Washburn.

“Before halftime I felt a chest pain and shortness of breath. In the second half, after I got in, my chest started hurting so I told coach to take me out,” said the red-shirt freshman guard, who scored eight points in eight minutes.

“They’re going to have me run on the treadmill in the morning. They gave me a little inhaler. I’m all right.”

Especially after sinking a pair of three-pointers.

“It felt pretty good. I was more focused this time. I had confidence when the ball came to me,” said Hawkins, who air-balled his first three in an exhibition game against EA Sports.

Hawkins, who said he wasn’t elbowed in the chest despite TV replays that looked like he was hit at one point, left the court early – with about 12 minutes left – to be checked by doctors in the locker room. His parents also went back to the locker room with Hawkins, who was fine afterward.

“We tried to be cautious and sent him down to the locker room. Now he’s fine. He’s in the locker room laughing at Aaron missing a dunk,” KU coach Roy Williams said. “I told him he must not be in shape. I told him we’ve got to run him harder in practice.”

Added sophomore Keith Langford, “I don’t know if he’s out of shape or too tired. He’s fine.”

Langford, by the way, scored 11 of KU’s first 13 points to start the second half. He finished with 15 points after changing shoes at halftime for good luck.

“Yeah, I changed shoes. I just wanted to assert myself. I saw the opportunity to take shots and score,” he said.

Earlier, he’d helped the team by tightly guarding former Jayhawk John Crider, who was held to four points on 2-of-7 shooting.

“I don’t know his numbers. I don’t know if he was tense or what. I just didn’t want him to come in and bust me,” Langford said.

Williams was happy to see Crider. He hugged his former player during introductions as the crowd gave Crider a loud ovation.

“He’s a great youngster and I’m very happy for him,” Williams said. “Bob (Chipman) is going to have a good team. It’s a nice situation having five seniors who have been with him four years.”

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Simien sits out game: Williams said Wayne Simien, who missed the game because of tendinitis in his right ankle, came over to the coach’s house on Monday night “lobbying” to get to play in the exhibition.

“It’s just tendinitis in the ankle. We’re trying to be very careful,” Williams said. “If it had been the regular season he would have played. I’d have played him if he felt good at the shootaround. We’ll let him relax a little tomorrow and probably Thursday as well and see what happens Friday or Saturday.”

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Dunk backfires: As mentioned, Miles missed a dunk on a breakaway in the second half.

“We’re going to have an early practice tomorrow. Christian Moody will give Aaron some lessons on how to dunk,” Williams quipped.

Moody had a vicious dunk late in the game.

Walk-on Brett Olson, who has been cleared to play by the NCAA clearinghouse, entered late and scored the bucket that put KU over 100 points.

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Pierce talks up KU: Former Jayhawk Paul Pierce bragged about his alma mater to the Boston Globe this week.

He told media types he expects the Jayhawks to pound Holy Cross in next Tuesday’s NIT opener.

“They’re going to wish they were at chapel,” Pierce said of the Crusaders. “They’re going to be there and like, ‘So this is what college is like?'”

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Adonis headed to Italy: Former KU player Adonis Jordan, who said he landed a job playing for a pro team in Italy, was impressed with Pittsburgh guards Brandin Knight, Julius Page and Carl Krauser in last Saturday’s 84-66 loss at Pitt.

“Actually, it kind of reminded me of Rex Walters and Steve Woodberry,” Jordan, who is playing for the EA Sports East All-Stars, said of Pitt’s backcourt. “We were like that back at Kansas. It’s very impressive.”

Asked who would win a KU-Pitt matchup, Jordan said: “I’d like to see that game.”

KU beat the All-Stars, 111-94, last week.