Kansas University’s basketball players didn’t mope in their apartments all day Sunday as they awaited the start of the Super Bowl.

They gathered in Allen Fieldhouse with smiles on their faces just 12 hours after a crushing 69-66 home loss to Texas A&M.

The occasion was not practice, but the 23rd-annual Wilt Chamberlain Basketball Clinic with 100 Special Olympians from the state of Kansas.

“Last night was just a game. We lost, but to me, this is more important,” KU junior forward Darnell Jackson said after taking part in two hours of fundamental drills and scrimmage situations with athletes from Lawrence, Leavenworth, Kansas City, Pittsburg, Salina, Topeka and Wichita.

“God blessed us with a talent and skills and mobility to go out and do things these kids (and adults) can’t do. When they come here we try to make them feel they can do anything.”

The Special Olympians, who took the court from 1 to 3 p.m., returned the favor.

“Even though we lost last night, they are out here cheering us on,” Jackson said. “They told us to keep our heads up. We came out with all the energy we have today, the same energy we have in games.”

Jackson especially enjoyed working with one young Special Olympian who needed the use of a walker in the layup line.

“I asked him if he was going to make a free throw for me. He made it. It made me feel real good,” Jackson said.

At one point, junior center Sasha Kaun hoisted youngsters to rim level so they could dunk.

“It’s just our pleasure to come out here to serve them, to have some fun and give some encouragement in their life,” Kaun said.

KU's sasha kaun, left, lifts Adeina Simon to dunk the ball. Simon was one of 100 Special Olympians who attended the Wilt Chamberlain Basketball Clinic on Sunday in Allen Fieldhouse.

“I think they are having a blast,” he added of the Olympians. “They try, even when things don’t go well. When they make a shot, you see the excitement in their eyes.”

John Lair, coach of the New Hope team from Pittsburg, said the eight athletes from his squad enjoyed the workout with the Jayhawks.

“On the drive here, they talked about meeting their heroes, the players they watch on TV,” Lair said. “You can’t imagine how fun it is for them to interact with the KU players and see how down to earth they are. We go to 40 or more events a year. I think this is the best one of the entire year.”

KU coach Bill Self was pleased his players were able to shrug off Saturday’s loss for a couple hours at least.

“It wasn’t the easiest day to wake up this morning and be fired up about anything,” Self said. “The sun did come up. Certainly this puts a great perspective on everything. I thing our guys got as much out of it as these Olympians did.

“The one thing about this group (of Olympians) that makes everyone feel good, especially our players, is their support and love is totally unconditional. We are certainly disappointed with the last few minutes of the game last night. It means a lot to have these Olympians out here with our players today.”

The clinic, which started during the Larry Brown era, has been renamed in honor of a gift received from the Wilt Chamberlain estate to support the annual event.

“This has been a big deal with the program since even back when I was here as a GA (graduate assistant),” Self said of 1986. “It’s a day we look forward to.”

Special Olympics is an international year-round program of sports training, education and athletic competition for individuals with intellectual disabilities. In Kansas, 5,913 athletes participate in 23 official sports. For more information, visit www.ksso.org.

Sashe Doel, right foreground, attempts a free throw after KU forward Darnell Jackson rubbed the ball for good luck. The Jayhawks spent two hours with 100 Special Olympians at Sunday's Chamberlain Basketball Clinic in Allen Fieldhouse.

¢Tough loss: Kaun said Saturday’s loss definitely was tough to stomach.

“It was a tough one yesterday. I thought we played pretty hard. We just didn’t make some plays at the end,” he said.

He missed two front ends of 1-and-1 free throw situations in crunch time. For the year, he’s made 16 of 32 free throws for 50 percent.

“I’ll definitely keep practicing and put myself in game situations and try to make them,” Kaun said.

Of the mood of the team, Jackson noted: “We’re fine. We’re a little low after the loss, but it’s OK. We played hard. It all came down to the last possession.”

¢Aggie pride: Texas A&M, which has sole possession of first place in the Big 12 at 7-1 – a game ahead of KU, Kansas State and Texas – wouldn’t wilt Saturday despite trailing by 11 points with 10 minutes left.

“We just wouldn’t quit,” A&M coach Billy Gillispie said. “No matter what it looked like or how we were guarding, we just hung in there. We made play after play after play down the stretch, and I guess that’s the way you go about winning on the road, here, because it’s very, very difficult to do and doesn’t happen very often.”

Now A&M meets Texas tonight on Big Monday in Reed Arena in College Station.

“This is special. It’s one of the biggest victories. We’ll see how we handle it on Monday, but this one feels really, really good,” said Acie Law, who had 23 points, including the game-winning three-pointer from the corner with 24 seconds to play.

¢Celebration: ESPN’s Andy Katz on A&M players celebrating on the court after the big win Saturday:

“It’s hard to criticize them. The Aggies deserved to let loose,” he wrote on ESPN.com. “They just conquered Kansas in what possibly could be the first stage toward winning the Big 12. There’s also a possible No. 2 seed in the national tournament on the horizon. And Law clearly deserves to be in the conversation with (Kevin) Durant for Big 12 Player of the Year if he continues to play like he did Saturday night and if he also keeps the Aggies in first place over the final month of the season. Now that would be headline-making material.”

¢Another toughie Wednesday: KU next will meet Kansas State at 8 p.m. Wednesday in Allen Fieldhouse. The Wildcats (17-6, 6-2) have won seven straight games including Saturday’s 73-72 victory over No. 22-ranked Texas in Austin. The Wildcats are expected to move into the Associated Press Top 25 this week for the first time since mid-February 1993, when the Cats were ranked No. 23.