Reporters huddled three rows deep around Nick Collison late Monday night, pushing and poking each other while prodding the Kansas University senior to deliver a memorable quote about the most memorable game of his college basketball career.

“I’m proud of it,” was the best the modest 6-foot-9, 255-pounder could muster after burning Texas for 24 points and a career-high 23 rebounds in the 12th-ranked Jayhawks’ 90-87 victory over the No. 3 Longhorns at Allen Fieldhouse.

“I’m proud it came in a game like this when we needed it.”

Collison couldn’t have picked a better night for a breakout game.

His performance — one that keeps 4-1 KU in the hunt for a Big 12 Conference championship — was witnessed by 24 NBA scouts, a national television audience, several national basketball writers and one of the most influential men in basketball.

ESPN analyst Dick Vitale stood and applauded Collison from press row after the KU big man fouled out with 1:18 left and the Jayhawks leading 88-84.

“I’ve been fortunate to see lots of great performances during my career as a broadcaster. On Monday night I saw Nick Collison put forth one of the most special efforts I’ve ever seen,” Vitale said. “There have been very few occasions where I got up as a broadcaster and gave a player a standing ovation. David Robinson of Navy was one and Collison on Monday night when he fouled out with a minute-plus left.”

Such words could come in handy come voting time for All-America honors. If Collison is named a consensus All-American, his No. 4 jersey would be hung in the rafters of Allen Fieldhouse.

Vitale’s co-worker, Jay Bilas, was equally impressed. In his top 20 on ESPN.com, his No. 1 team in the country Tuesday was “Nick Collison’s heart.” Arizona ranked second, Pittsburgh was No. 3, Florida No. 4, Texas No. 5 and so on.

Fox Sports’ Frank Burlison said, “That was easily the best individual performance I’ve seen this season in terms of productivity on both ends of the floor, guts and an incredible will to win. To me he should be a consensus All-American and top-five vote-getter for the Wooden Award.”

Collison, who averages 19.4 points and 9.0 rebounds a game, also might have cemented his status as a first-round NBA draft pick.

“I have no doubt Nick will be a solid NBA player,” said former Jayhawk forward Mark Randall, an assistant coach with the Denver Nuggets. “Nick’s heart cannot be questioned. In my mind he’s a first-round pick. I hope he gets drafted in the position he deserves.”

That would be somewhere between Nos. 12 and 24 in the first round, Randall said.

Funny thing is, foreign players and college underclassmen sometimes push guys like Collison into later in the first round or even early in the second round.

“I remember my agent was telling me I’d go as high as No. 11,” said Randall, a first round pick of the Chicago Bulls back in 1991. He went 27th overall.

“For me there wasn’t a worse fit. In Nick’s case he’s a helluva player, a great post player. He has the outside game too, which is important.”

The 58.3 percent shooter showed his outside shooting skills Monday by draining a three-pointer with 6:12 left. That shot erased a 78-76 deficit and gave KU the lead for good.

“I’m happy for him. That’s a big shot to make in a big game,” Randall said.

Collison wasn’t the only KU senior to come up big Monday.

Senior guard Kirk Hinrich, who had a breakout game of his own by scoring 23 points against Missouri in front of Vitale and an ESPN audience last Jan. 28, contributed 25 points off 7-of-14 shooting.

The Preseason All-American scored 13 of KU’s final 24 points.

“Everybody sees Kirk as a solid point guard,” Randall said of the 6-3 Hinrich, who averages 17.2 points a game off 48 percent shooting.

“He can shoot it. He gets his team in the offense. What some people don’t see is Kirk is very athletic. He runs extremely well. He’s an athletic point guard. To have an athletic point guard in this league is invaluable.”

Added FOX’s Burlison, “I think he’s the most complete guard in the country.”

The Jayhawks are enthused about what Hinrich and Collison can do for KU from now through April.

“If we have Nick and Kirk perform like that, we can go a long way,” sophomore Keith Langford said.

Added KU coach Roy Williams, “Everybody on the club draws strength from those two. These guys are loading everybody on their back for the long term. We’ve got to get ’em to play every day.”

They will try.

“I think they expect us to do that,” Collison said of the Jayhawks looking to the two Iowans for leadership and points in crunch time. “I’ve been on teams where it’s been a question who will step up and make big plays. We both definitely try to make things happen.”

Hinrich praised his teammate and fellow senior.

“I think teammates do feed off Nick some,” Hinrich said. “They do feed off me some. Nick was big tonight. Nick is usually big.”

Just ask Dick Vitale.