Little off to fast start

Kansas University basketball signee Mario Little is averaging 15.9 points per game off 59.2 percent shooting for 14-0 Chipola (Fla.) Community College.

The 6-foot-5 guard/forward has made 42.9 percent of his three-pointers. He also averages 4.9 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game.

Next up

KU’s next opponent, Ohio University, takes a 5-2 record into tonight’s game at Maryland. The Bobcats, who have lost to Holy Cross and Temple and defeated New Mexico State, Cornell, St. Francis, St. Bonaventure and Delaware, meet KU at 4 p.m., Saturday, at Sprint Center, then head to Honolulu for the Rainbow Classic and an opening round game against St. John’s.

Giles eligible

C.J. Giles, who was kicked off KU’s team first semester last year, is eligible to play in games at Oregon State now that second semester has started.

The 6-11 Giles is expected to provide a boost to an OSU team off to a 4-3 start.

“If he ever puts it all together, he’ll be one of the best big men in the Pac-10,” KU coach Bill Self told the Oregonian newspaper.

Giles averaged 4.9 points and 3.9 rebounds per game in his two seasons at KU. He’s currently on a diversion program to avoid conviction on a misdemeanor battery citation that led to his dismissal from KU’s team.

“Everybody likes C.J. It just kind of got away from him,” Self said. “I think he’s in a good spot. I would love see him do well. No matter what happens, I will always pull for him.”

Oregon State coach Jay John was criticized by some Oregon media members for giving Giles a scholarship.

“I still fundamentally believe that whatever that line is where you go from deserving a second chance to, ‘You blew all your chances,’ wherever that arbitrary line is, in my view, he hadn’t gone on the other side,” John said. “Certainly I took a lot of heat on that, but I also felt that we had an infrastructure where things could work.

“Obviously, we are excited about adding a player with his ability to the mix for the rest of the season,” John added. “He is an outstanding talent who should give us a very strong presence on both ends of the floor.”