Kansas University guard Aaron Miles, who rarely dunks, put home a vicious slam in the second half of Wednesday’s KU-Colorado game at Allen Fieldhouse.

What’s up with that?

“I was open, man, wide open, and my legs were not as tired as usual,” said Miles, who scored 14 points off 4-of-10 shooting in KU’s 94-87 victory.

He missed four three-pointers without a make, but did cash six of eight free throws.

His dunk thrilled his teammates, especially Keith Langford, who jumped for joy on the bench.

Coach Roy Williams applauded that dunk, but was not as happy when the 6-foot-1 Miles raced in and looked like he had dunk on his mind again.

“I told Aaron, ‘Sixteen thousand, 300 people know you can dunk the basketball. Don’t be stupid and try to go in and dunk another one,'” Williams said. “I wanted two points. He goes in thinking of dunking another. It’s not a macho world.”

¢Box score: get the stats¢Photos: Colorado game pix¢Hear Roy: Colorado post-game¢ 6Sports video: Jayhawks get revenge against CU, 94 -87¢ ‘Big Dub’ keys big win – Kansas 94, Colorado 87¢ Woodling: Collison easy to take for granted¢ Post play dooms Buffs

• Coming off bench: Don’t expect Wayne Simien to return to the starting lineup anytime soon. He had a career-high 13 rebounds and tallied 21 points in 20 minutes off the bench Wednesday.

“I don’t have a plan now to start him until I feel he is a little bit better,” Williams said of the sophomore power forward with the sore right shoulder. “Unless he comes up to me and says it gets stiff sitting out the first three to four minutes or it gets a lot better. If it does, I’ll start him at that time.”

• Coach D returns: Texas Christian University coach Neil Dougherty took advantage of an off day to attend the KU game.

“Absolutely it’s great to be back,” said Dougherty, a former KU assistant who headed to the Fort Worth, Texas, school after last season.

• UCLA job: In a somewhat bizarre development, UCLA basketball coach Steve Lavin, who has not been fired yet, Tuesday listed five leading candidates to replace him at season’s end.

He listed KU’s Williams, plus Pitt’s Ben Howland, Gonzaga’s Mark Few, Cal-Santa Barbara’s Bob Williams and Cal Irvine’s Pat Douglass.

The Los Angeles Times added Utah’s Rick Majerus, Notre Dame’s Mike Brey and former Atlanta Hawks coach Lon Kruger to the candidates’ list.

As he did last week at his weekly news conference, Williams Wednesday again addressed the UCLA rumors on the Jim Rome national radio show.

“I made a statement at the press conference before the Iowa State game (that) I have not had any discussions with UCLA and have none planned,” Williams said. “I really haven’t had those discussions with UCLA. They’ve got a coach. Probably if there ever has been anybody who pulls for coaches more than me, I don’t know who it is.

“I never entertain those kind of things or even think about those kind of things. I hope Steve Lavin wins every game the rest of the way unless he keeps going in the tournament and they are playing us. I hope he doesn’t win that one.”

• Add UCLA: Williams said the ongoing UCLA rumors hurt recruiting.

“The fact of the matter is, we lost a kid this past weekend, and I don’t think those rumors or anything had anything to do with that,” Williams said, referring to Branson, Mo., center Steven Hill. “But it is something I’m concerned about, and I think that’s one of the reasons I was so frustrated in all the junk that was going on here last week.”

Last week, reports circulated that Williams and athletic director Al Bohl do not get along.

Rome asked Williams is there was a problem between Williams and Bohl.

“You know, it’s … people compare it to the first athletic director I had here. Bob Frederick was the guy who hired me, gave me a chance,” Williams said. “That relationship was one of respect. It was one in a professional manner, but also one of great friendship, a guy that I trusted to the bottom depth. People compare that to what I have now. I don’t have that kind of relationship now, but it’s a professional relationship, that he is the athletic director, and I have a great deal of respect for that office and understand what that is supposed to do. I try to stay out of his way and be the basketball coach and go from there.”

• Hinrich, Collison finalists: Kirk Hinrich and Nick Collison are two of 20 finalists for the Naismith Award. Texas’ T.J. Ford and Oklahoma’s Hollis Price are also on the list.
• Streaking: KU has won 20 in a row over Colorado in Lawrence. Williams is 33-2 versus the Buffs.