Moody impressing KU coach, teammates

Instead of red-shirt year, sophomore contributing

It’s not often a non-scholarship college basketball player makes such a spectacular play that it winds up being a highlight on ESPN’s SportsCenter.

But that’s exactly what happened Monday when Kansas University sophomore Christian Moody showed Tony Gonzalez-like hands, catching a half-court bounce pass from Aaron Miles on the fast-break and finishing a layup.

The spectacular snag and basket in the Jayhawks’ 77-62 Big 12 Conference-opening victory over Colorado in Boulder might have shocked some media members and fans, but not KU coach Bill Self.

“Christian Moody is a terrific, explosive athlete,” Self said of the 6-foot-8, 215-pound forward from Asheville, N.C. “There’s not too many guys on our team that could catch the ball he caught running full speed in transition and finish. He made a great play there.”

Don’t think the tag “great athlete” is a coach’s exaggeration.

Miles, who never hesitated in making the bullet pass, echoed the praise.

“Christian Moody is one of the best athletes on our team,” Miles said. “He has great hands for a big man. I’ve seen him run the floor. I knew if I threw it anywhere near him he’d catch it. I trusted him. I just threw it without thinking, and it was successful.”

Moody said it’s Miles who made the play, which came with 13:22 left.

“I think what made it on SportsCenter was the pass by Aaron. I didn’t think there was any room for Aaron to throw it. He threw it through the eye of a needle,” Moody said.

<i>” border=”0″/> 6Sports video: Kansas needs better on-ball defense</a><a href=</i>” border=”0″/> 6Sports video: J.R. Giddens growing into potential</a></td> </tr> </table> </div> </div> <p>KU’s coach and players have so much confidence in Moody, they expect him to make many more plays like that in the future.</p> <p>“Christian doesn’t know yet that he belongs. When he figures out, ‘Hey, I belong playing at this level,’ he’ll be a lot better,” Self said. “He is getting stronger. As he gets stronger his confidence will develop. When that happens, he’ll play more and at a higher level.”</p> <p>Self says he probably should have given Moody a red-shirt season this year because down the line the coach sees the forward being able to contribute.</p> <p>“I told Christian we may have screwed up by not red-shirting him,” Self said. “You don’t red-shirt guys you feel will not have an impact in your program, especially a guy like Christian who came here paying his own way. You are delaying the family in getting him out of school if he isn’t on scholarship, unless you think he can really be a solid contributor.</p> <p>“I think he will become that, and I’m glad we didn’t red-shirt him because we are one injury away from being really thin (inside).”</p> <p>Moody, a brilliant student who plans on becoming a doctor, likes what he has heard from Self.</p> <p>“What he is saying is I need to gain confidence,” Moody said. “Hopefully getting stronger will help me gain confidence, and if that means more minutes, it’s what I can do for the team. Like coach said, I think when my strength goes up, my confidence will go up and hopefully I can get better.”</p> <p>Moody, who received no major scholarship offers out of high school, just might be one of the better walk-ons in KU history.</p> <p>“That one play doesn’t prove he’s a Division One scholarship basketball player. He proves that every day in practice,” Miles said. “The way he practices day in and out shows me he is a Division One basketball player.”</p> <ul> <li>Recruiting update: Micah Downs, a 6-7 high school junior forward from Bothell, Wash., who is considering KU, Michigan State, Utah, Washington and Washington State, tells rivals.com he will make an official recruiting visit to KU. … The Jayhawks also will receive a visit from Austin Jackson, 6-1 from Denton, Texas. Jackson is considering KU, Oklahoma, Illinois, Cincinnati and Georgia Tech.</li> </ul> <script type=