Bill Self banished his Kansas University basketball players from practice Tuesday afternoon, bringing them back for a workout early Tuesday evening.

It was more of the same Wednesday afternoon, when KU’s first-year coach dismissed the Jayhawks for what he deemed “lack of effort and intensity” at shootaround.

“It opened up our eyes,” KU point guard Aaron Miles said of the coach’s punishment. “I think he let everybody know maybe we have been lacking in our effort at practice and needed to give great effort if we wanted to win this game.”

The Jayhawks responded, dropping Kansas State, 73-67, Wednesday at Allen Fieldhouse.

“We got kicked out of the first one. It wasn’t funny,” KU junior Wayne Simien said. “Then we got kicked out of the shootaround today. Coach said some things at pregame meal that fired us up, too.”

Junior Keith Langford indicated it wasn’t the first time a team had been kicked out of practice and probably wouldn’t be the last.

“It happens in college all the time. Coaches do things to fire up their teams,” he said.

Self, to put it mildly, hadn’t been pleased with practice the past couple days.

“Our team has been flat, very flat,” he said.

Kansas University's Wayne Simien -- who collected 19 points and nine rebounds -- attempts to block the shot of Kansas State's Jarrett Hart, left. Simien led the Jayhawks in scoring in their 73-67 victory Wednesday night at Allen Fieldhouse.

• Graves dandy: Senior center Jeff Graves continued his resurgence since his one-game suspension by scoring 11 points with nine rebounds in 33 minutes.

“I feel a lot more comfortable. My confidence is on Cloud Nine now,” he said.

He understood why Self started the 6-foot-7 Bryant Nash as a replacement for injured 6-11 pivot David Padgett instead of the 6-9 Graves.

“It was because Bryant would be staying active, and it would keep me out of foul trouble,” Graves said. “When I went in, I was real active today like I have been lately at practice.”

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Of his decision to not start Graves, Self said: “We felt K-State’s strategy would be to get one of our big guys in foul trouble right off the bat. Bryant gives us energy and helps us keep our big men out of foul trouble.”

• Intentional foul controversial: Self didn’t agree with an intentional-foul call on Simien in the second half. In trying to save the basketball from sailing out of bounds, Graves bounced the basketball hard off the ground, and the ball bounced high in the air. In trying to catch the ball, Simien clipped Marques Hayden.

“They (officials) said, ‘Excessive contact around the throat, around the neck.’ It’s what they said. If they said it, it had to be true,” Self said, grinning. “It’s like a teacher. No matter how mad you get at the professor, they have the last say on grades. It’s kind of how it is with officials. Those are good officials. I just didn’t agree with that particular call.”

Of the play, Simien said: “Marques and I are both good guys. He knows it wasn’t intentional, and I know it wasn’t intentional. He understood I didn’t mean it.”

KU’s crowd also booed another call when the refs deemed Miles stepped out of bounds on the fast break when it appeared Miles was in bounds.

“I didn’t agree with that one at all. I thought I had a good view of that one, but I’m also relatively biased,” Self said.

• Sick Jayhawk: Langford continues to be bothered by flu-like symptoms. He has been dizzy and nauseated the past week or so.

“My energy level is low. I’ll just keep taking medication and try to get better,” he said after scoring 17 points in 34 minutes.

Maybe a trip to his home state Friday will help. KU plays Texas A&M at 3 p.m. Saturday in College Station, Texas.

• Padgett may miss one more game: David Padgett, who has a slight stress fracture in his left foot, is doubtful for Saturday, Self said.

“He’s doing a lot better fast,” Self said. “He is pain-free, I don’t know if he’s totally pain-free, but he’s walking, and he’s fine. If he doesn’t feel great, that’ll be a doctor’s call along with him, and he won’t play. If he’s able to practice, we’ll play him on Saturday.”