Junior forward Bryant Nash is known to most Kansas University men’s basketball fans as “B-Nash.”

But his teammates also call him “B” or “B-Nasty” or “Creature” or “Weird-O” or even “Pterodactyl.”

Pterodactyl? The extinct winged reptile?

“Because of my wing span,” said Nash, KU’s lanky 6-foot-6, 204-pound junior small forward, who had one of his best games of the season Monday — a seven-point, 16-minute effort in the Jayhawks’ 90-87 victory over Texas at Allen Fieldhouse.

Nicknames aside, the word most often used when talking about Nash isn’t a nickname at all. It’s “potential.”

Nash has shown flashes of excellence, like in the season opener against Holy Cross when he scored a career-high eight points, including two off an acrobatic follow dunk.

He also had eight rebounds in a career-high 25 minutes against Central Missouri State on Dec. 4 at Allen Fieldhouse, and eight points and four boards in just eight minutes versus UMKC on Dec. 21 at Kemper Arena in Kansas City, Mo.

“There are times like that when I feel like I can do that all the time,” said Nash, who also has had six scoreless games and seven games in which he failed to grab a rebound.

During two Preseason NIT games in New York, Nash logged 28 minutes combined against North Carolina and Florida, scoring two points. Against Oregon, Tulsa, California and Arizona, he played a combined six minutes, didn’t score and grabbed one rebound.

Nash’s teammates are surprised at the inconsistency of the Carrollton, Texas, native who has scored 53 points in 19 games while hitting 41.9 percent of his shots.

“B. Nash is the hardest guy I ever had to guard,” KU senior guard Kirk Hinrich said, talking about pick-up games and practices.

“He’s so athletic. He’s the best offensive rebounder. He owns pick-up.”

“Guys in the league don’t have his athleticism,” sophomore guard Keith Langford said. “He’s 6-6, 6-7 and can hit that jump shot.”

Actually, Nash’s jumper has been a source of concern much of the season. He was 0-for-11 from three-point land through 11 games, but has hit five of his last nine attempts in KU’s last eight games.

Kansas assistant Joe Holladay and administrative assistant Jerod Haase have been giving Nash pointers on knocking down the three-point shot.

“I had been trying so hard to get one to fall,” Nash said. “I was shooting it too strong. Coach Holladay one day told me I was getting my right foot out too far. Jerod said, ‘You are better when you pivot with the left foot.’ I try to remember that during the game. I finally got a couple to fall and that builds confidence.”

He’s been versatile of late, playing some power forward and even some center. Against Texas he dunked off an inbounds pass early in the second half and minutes later drilled a three-pointer while being decked by UT forward Brian Boddicker — a key play that sliced KU’s deficit to 67-66.

“I think there will be a game where I put everything together,” Nash said. “It’s just a matter of stepping up when coach calls your name.”

The Jayhawks will next meet Nebraska at 1 p.m. Saturday at NU’s Devaney Center in Lincoln, Neb.

KU waxed the Cornhuskers, 92-59, on Jan. 11 at Allen Fieldhouse.