Al Woolard, the incomparable Lawrence High football coach, would make his teams run a play until it was executed perfectly. Then he’d say: “All right, now let’s do it that way again, and again, and again!” Al’s Lions won rather often with that approach.

The Kansas University basketball team finally got it right for the romp past Kansas State, so now Bill Self and Co. must adopt the Woolard mindset and keep the line movin’. Shouldn’t be too tough, considering all the resources the Jayhawks have at their disposal, providing they maintain the passion, the thrust and the toughness they showed against the Wildcat wanna-bes.

Several erratic Jayhawks ripped off their tuxedos and really jumped into the thicket Wednesday. Looked as if they truly wanted to make a statement, which many fans have been waiting for. We’ll find out at Missouri if KU can sustain such prosperity or whether it will regress again despite impressive wins over such foes as Boston College, Florida, Oklahoma State, USC and Kansas State.

One of the delights of the KU operation is freshman Sherron Collins, who knows no fear and entertains no reluctance on any portion of the court. Aaron Miles, for all his credentials, too often got self-hypnotized into a Perimeter Waltz and neglected to penetrate and shoot a la his capabilities. Makes no difference to Sherron whether he long-shoots, dishes, drives or steals the ball, even gets a rebound.

The mentality of the KU backcourt is shifting for the better with Russell Robinson, Mario Chalmers and even the hesitant Brandon Rush more likely to go where the action is. The Collins virus might not be the total reason for a more swashbuckling mentality, but it’s a big part of it.

Leave Sherron alone, don’t coach him too much! He scores, he invigorates and … seven assists with zero turnovers? Collins has a pit bull attitude and reflects just how good this team can be.

Will the Jayhawks slink back to their blunders of the Oral Roberts, DePaul, Texas Tech and Texas A&M embarrassments; have they found a personality for success? Talk about being masters of one’s own fate! Hope they don’t blow it.

¢One of the guys due back for next weekend’s 55th reunion of the ’52 NCAA and Olympic basketball championship team set the stage for Boston icon Bill Russell’s celebrated triple, but actually went Bill one better.

That’s Clyde Lovellette, who by 1954 had become the only guy ever to play for title teams at the college, Olympic and NBA levels. Russell got that done by the late 1950s but still is one down to Lovellette.

Overlooked is that Clyde also starred on the ’53 Phillips Oilers team that won the AAU championship when AAU ball was better than you could see in the NBA.

Clyde was on the Russell-hubbed ’63 and ’64 Celtic champs. Clyde also played for the St. Louis Hawks who reached the NBA finals, losing to Boston, in 1960 and 1961.

Former KU stars who became NBA title-ring holders are Lovellette (3), Wilt Chamberlain (2), Jo Jo White (3), Wayne Simien (last season, though he played sparingly with the Miami Heat) and, maybe this will surprise you, ’57 star Maurice King (2). King was on the ’59 and ’60 Celtics roster when Boston was champ.

Jo Jo also had a nifty pro career, starring for some great Boston teams and being voted most valuable player for the 1976 title game.

KU’s impact on basketball is limitless. Will this 2007 crew eventually measure up to that glorious heritage?