KU’s Lee making impact

? Michael Lee played the best basketball game of his short college career Saturday night in Kansas University’s 94-61 national semifinal victory against Marquette.

The KU sophomore guard matched a career high with four field goals and set career highs with eight field-goal attempts, three three-pointers, three three-point attempts and 13 points.

His first three-pointer gave Kansas a 20-14 lead as the Jayhawks began to pull away from the Golden Eagles.

“It’s real satisfying being able to get in the game and knock down some shots,” said Lee, who also had six rebounds, four assists and two steals. “I bet a lot of people are starting to find out a little bit about Mike Lee, but my family, my teammates and my coaches knew who I was. That was enough for me.”

KU coach Roy Williams knew who Lee was, but he might not have been sure what to do with him. Lee wasn’t his first choice in recruiting. In fact, Kansas coaches lost recruiting battles for three other guards before setting their sights on Lee.

“I told our staff, we want a second guard prospect that can shoot the basketball,” Williams said Sunday at the Superdome, where his team was preparing for tonight’s NCAA championship game against Syracuse. “We always talk about a good package. If we can’t find somebody great, who has a better overall package than Mike Lee? He’s a wonderful kid, hard-working student. How can you go wrong with taking that kind of kid?”

Oregon also was recruiting the Portland standout, but the Ducks wanted Lee to red-shirt as a freshman. Oregon State also made a run at Lee but eventually signed another guard.

That left Kansas and Nevada.

“That was it,” said Lee, who averaged 19.7 points and was an all-state selection at Jefferson High. “I didn’t have many offers.”

When Kansas made its offer, Lee jumped at it. Jefferson High teammate Aaron Miles, who also was mulling offers from Arizona and UCLA, soon followed.

Some thought Williams signed Lee to land buddy Miles, but Lee has proved his own worth.

“At the time, I told him it would be very difficult for him to play,” Williams said. “But if he did what I thought he could do, took the coaching, the whole part, he could surprise a lot of people. I think he’s done that. How quickly he’s come this year … I don’t mind saying it seems to surprise me a little bit.”

Lee didn’t red-shirt as a freshman last season, but he didn’t play much, either. He didn’t play in 10 games and averaged 3.2 minutes in the 27 games he did play.

This season has been different for KU’s sixth man.

“I didn’t really know what my role was going to be,” Lee said. “I just wanted to contribute, whether it was playing defense or getting a rebound. I just wanted to be out on the court and be part of it.”

Lee got his coach’s attention Dec. 7 in Portland when Lee scored 11 points in 20 minutes in a loss to Oregon. He has played at least 11 minutes in every game since. He was forced into a vital role when starting forward Wayne Simien dislocated his shoulder Jan. 4 against UMKC. With a shallow bench, the 6-foot-3 Lee has played in the post as well as the perimeter.

“He’s stepped up his play tremendously,” Simien said.

KU likely will need a few more three-pointers from Lee tonight against Syracuse’s 2-3 zone defense in the title game.

“We’re so close to getting it this year, we don’t want to let this opportunity slip by and go home sad-faced,” Lee said. “We want this one real bad. These chances don’t come along a lot, so we have to come out and perform to the best of our ability.”