No crunch time

J.R. Giddens, who scored 13 points, suffered two straight turnovers and thus didn’t play the final eight minutes.

“He had a bad stretch. I decided to play four seniors on the road,” said Self, noting KU “wouldn’t have won the game” without Giddens’ 11 first-half points. “I didn’t think J.R. was going to be as good late as Mike (Lee). Don’t read too much into the fact J.R. was not in there. I don’t think there’s any question I have a lot of confidence in J.R.”

Rookie error

Alex Galindo, who made five of six free throws but just one of five shots, took an ill-advised three from the corner with 1:20 left and KU up, 65-60. He missed, and ISU scored on the other end.

“Freshman mistake. I’ve got to fix it,” Galindo said. “I was scared that if we lose, it’s my fault. I had to do something to make up for that.”

This, that

C.J. Giles, who had a big shot in the lane to give KU a 62-55 lead with 4:21 left, at times appeared bothered by his right foot bruise, but still logged 21 minutes. He had six rebounds. … Stephen Vinson, Matt Kleinmann and transfer Rodrick Stewart did not sit on the bench because only 15 can be on the court for league road games. … KU entered No. 1 in the RPI strength-of-schedule ratings. Iowa State was No. 90.

Say what?

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Illinois coach Bruce Weber keeps talking about his predecessor — Self.

“Bill was (the players’) buddy. He told them how good they were,” Weber told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “The first thing I said to Dee Brown was, ‘Dee, you can’t make a left-handed layup, and your pull-up jumper is awful. And you tell me you want to play in the NBA?’

“I’m trying to help you, but somebody screwed up and didn’t make you do these things.’ Dee didn’t know how to deal with that.”

Weber also commented on the mock “funeral” he held for Self last year.

“I meant it as an honor to Bill, but I guess it didn’t come across that way. I meant no disrespect to Bill at all. But I’m emotional and sometimes I get a little carried away,” he said.

“My mistake was telling it to the media. Bill heard about it and laughed and joked about it, but I’m not so sure he understood what I was trying to do, or appreciated it.”

Self ends skid

Self, entering Wednesday’s game, was winless in four trips to Ames when he played for Oklahoma State from 1981 to ’85. His only visit since taking over the Jayhawks last season resulted in a 68-61 defeat. He won two games at Hilton as an assistant at Oklahoma State.

Home cooking

ISU had a 13-game home-court win streak snapped. The Cyclones are 25-2 at home the last two years under Wayne Morgan and 3-2 against ranked teams with Morgan as coach.

Taunts for Downs

KU signee Micah Downs was taunted by opposing fans during Juanita High’s 72-61 loss to Lake Washington on Tuesday in Kirkland, Wash.

Fans chanted, “No way, NBA,” and “Bleep no, he won’t go.”

Downs, a 6-foot-8 guard/forward who during the Christmas holiday said he would consider heading straight from high school to the pros, scored 34 points, including a pair of vicious second half dunks.

“I don’t care what those guys say. I’m not going to see them anymore in my life,” Downs said. “When we’re playing at home, our fans say stuff to them, so that kind of stuff doesn’t bother me.”