Nobody knows when or how it happened, but somewhere along the way, Kansas University sophomore Michael Lee has become Mike Lee.

“It says Michael on my birth certificate, but I’d say 70 to 75 percent of people, when they call me, call me Mike,” Lee, KU’s 6-foot-3, 215-pound backup guard/forward from Portland, Ore., said. “When I first got here, it was Michael.

“Everybody called me that … except Aaron called me, Mikey,'” Lee said of his buddy and fellow Portland native Aaron Miles. “I didn’t like that at all. Now I don’t mind Mikey. They call my father Johnny, and his name is John, so Mikey is OK, too.”

Regardless, it should be interesting to see what name Lee chooses for his junior season on KU’s official men’s basketball roster.

“It’s Mike. I call him Mike Lee,” junior forward Bryant Nash said. “Everybody calls him Mike. It’s been that way for a while now.”

Call Lee whatever you want, but call him a contributor.

After playing mop-up minutes a year ago, Lee has been valuable this season, averaging 4.3 points and 2.3 rebounds while logging 15 minutes a game.

He has been first off the bench in 13 games.

“Coach told me he expects me to be ready. He puts me in the game when he needs me, and I have to be ready,” Lee said.

Lee has averaged 4.4 points and 2.5 boards in Big 12 Conference games, helping make up for the loss of Wayne Simien, who played just three full games and 40 seconds of a fourth in the conference season because of a right shoulder problem.

“It is kind of hard,” Lee, a 48.7 percent shooter, said of playing limited minutes. “You’ve got to put things in perspective and know what you bring to the team. It’d be foolish for me to not play much and try to do something I cannot do. The best thing for me to do is not do too much.”

Lee has contributed enough now to be included as an official contributing member of a sophomore class that includes heralded Miles, Simien and Keith Langford, and also red-shirt freshman Jeff Hawkins, whose major contributions might be down the line.

“I’m a lot more comfortable this year,” Lee said. “My confidence is getting somewhat higher. At times I may still doubt myself, but I’m more comfortable and confident. The biggest thing is, every time I’m on the court to give 100 percent effort.”

Lee discussed his classmates.

“Wayne is the silliest of the three. He laughs at everything,” Lee said. “Keith is the instigator. He likes to sit on the side and laugh and say, ‘Ha ha, this, that, or the other.’ He’s the one playing all the jokes on people. Aaron … he does it all.”

Lee? Well he doesn’t do it all like another famous Michael — Jordan — but he does his part.

He has hit the floor diving for loose balls 50 times this season. Only Langford (104), senior Kirk Hinrich (111), senior Nick Collison (76) and Miles (73) have given up their body for more loose balls.

“I know what I’m capable of,” Lee said. “I play hard, and that shouldn’t surprise anybody.”

• Brain team: KU’s Collison and Brett Olson were named to the first team academic All-Big 12 squad Wednesday. Collison is making his third appearance on the team. To qualify, athletes must maintain a 3.2 grade point average.
• Tourney set: The University of Nevada athletic department and Reno, Nev., convention bureau today will announce plans for the Wolfpack Classic, Dec. 20-21 in Reno. KU will meet Cal Santa Barbara the first day, then face Nevada the next day in a non-tournament format. Nevada will play Gardner Webb the first day, with Cal Santa Barbara meeting the North Carolina school the second day.

KU will play in Reno as a homecoming for incoming freshman David Padgett, 6-11 from Reno High.