Wilkes happy to help
Freshman gets 9 points in 9 minutes for KU
Omar Wilkes was a shot-maker Monday night.
Wilkes, a 6-foot-4 freshman, played only nine minutes, but contributed nine points as Kansas University’s men’s basketball team bashed Binghamton, 78-46, in Allen Fieldhouse.
“I just tried to get in there and help as much as possible,” Wilkes said of his point-a-minute performance, “and things worked for me tonight.”
Wilkes didn’t leave the bench during the first half, and he didn’t make his initial appearance until midway through the second half after the Jayhawks had posted leads of 30-plus points.
“The ball rolled toward me, and things happened for me,” Wilkes said.
Actually, Wilkes scored those nine points in about seven minutes. He spent his last two minutes on the floor just passing the ball and not looking for a shot, even though another basket would have put him in double-digit scoring for the first time as a collegian.
“I’m a bad math guy,” Wilkes said with a grin.
KU coach Bill Self also was grinning after Wilkes came off the bench cold and wasted little time putting the ball in the hole.
“Omar played well,” Self said. “He’s had only one off-night in the last four or five games. He can guard better, but we need points, so that’s always good.”
Keith Langford slams for two of his 14 points.
Prior to tipoff, Self told his players he planned to use only eight players in the first half, and Wilkes didn’t fit into that equation. However, after Monday night, Self may reconsider.
“He’s emerging,” the KU coach said, “as the eighth guy.”
Wilkes was 3-for-4 from the floor and made both his free-throw attempts. Wilkes also cashed his only three-point goal, and it’s no secret Self is searching for consistent three-point shooting with the Jayhawks ranked dead last in the Big 12 Conference at 26.2 percent.
Monday’s 26.9 three-point shooting percentage wasn’t a noteworthy improvement, so Wilkes may be seeing more court time if he proves he can cash the three.
If not, Wilkes will have to continue spending more time on the bench than on the floor.
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See the photos: KU-Binghamton“I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t a tough adjustment going from playing (in high school) to not playing,” he said. “The first semester has been the biggest adjustment of my young life. It’s a big cultural adjustment coming from L.A. to Lawrence, but it’s coming together.”
Wilkes, a son of former UCLA and Los Angeles Lakers standout Jamaal Wilkes, returned home to Los Angeles for the holiday break and mostly hung out with his family.
“The weather was about 68 degrees and overcast, so no beach,” Wilkes said, smiling. “I love Kansas, but it was hard to leave California.”
Like his teammates, Wilkes was delighted to win one after that disappointing 75-61 loss to Nevada eight days earlier in Reno.
“You can play a sixth-grade team or the L.A. Lakers,” Wilkes said. “Just getting a win is a big thing. We have it in us. We’re not a bad basketball team.”
Whatever the second semester holds for Wilkes, he says he’ll accept it.
“I’m a team guy. I’d like to come in a provide energy and provide morale,” he said. “I can accept what happens.”