Retired basketball coaching legend Dean Smith’s North Carolina teams were noted for playing an up-tempo style, using turnovers to trigger the break. They also displayed superior ball movement in the halfcourt, which resulted in accurate shooting, and, very often, balanced scoring.

In short, they pretty much played the way Smith’s alma mater did Saturday afternoon at Allen Fieldhouse, where Kansas University demoralized Nebraska, 92-39. Repeat: 92-39.

Smith watched from behind the bench with seven teammates from the 1952 national championship team. He clapped for the home team, which deserved the applause by pulling off what isn’t necessarily an easy trick: They played as if each possession counted, when in reality this game was won when the sides were chosen.

Kansas had the taller, faster, more skilled players, and Nebraska had the leftovers, as in players left over from the bland Barry Collier era. Here’s guessing Doc Sadler will do better on the recruiting trail than his predecessor. After all, Sadler convinced star center Aleks Maric to return from Australia for his junior season, and it wasn’t as if he were able to sell Maric that he would be surrounded by big-time Big 12 talent.

“The way we are, we have to play a perfect game to beat them with our lack of size and depth,” Nebraska senior guard Charles Richardson Jr. said.

KU’s third margin of greater than 50 points against a Division I opponent this season (Dartmouth, Winston-Salem) was a classic mismatch. Still, it takes more than talent to put together a 23-4 record and 10-2 Big 12 mark. It takes team-oriented, aggressive play.

Sherron Collins triggers both by coming in off the bench and showing he can get to the lane pretty much at will. Once Mario Chalmers and Russell Robinson see that, they are inspired to do the same. That’s where it all starts for KU, with the guards getting to the paint and causing the defense to scramble.

That’s been the key to Brandon Rush smoothly and efficiently, in a way that doesn’t call attention to himself, developing into such a consistent shooter.

“I’m still relying on my jump shot instead of taking it to the rack,” Rush said. “Other than that, I think I’m playing pretty good.”

Given that Rush is hitting .464 of his three-point shots in Big 12 play, that doesn’t seem such a poor strategy.

“When the shot’s falling, you’re going to keep shooting,” Rush said. “That’s anybody’s mentality.”

The most remarkable possession of the game didn’t involve Rush. Julian Wright received a pass and whipped it to Darnell Jackson on the right block, and Jackson hot-potatoed it to Darrell Arthur for an easy bucket.

“I was surprised,” said Arthur, whose sure hands came in handy. “I thought Ju was going to shoot it at first, but it ended up coming to me in less than one second.”

The road gets tougher for the Jayhawks, who look ready for it. Three of the next four games (at Kansas State on Monday, at Oklahoma one week after that, and Texas at home in the regular-season finale on March 3) will require solid play.

Kansas won’t have to make 10 of its final 16 three-point shots as was the case against Nebraska, but making only one of nine to start wouldn’t be recommended either.

Memories of ’57?

Were you at the 1957 national championship game to watch KU and North Carolina in Kansas City, Mo.? If so, we want to hear your stories.

Also, if you have mementos of any kind from that game, let us know, so we can make it part of our 50th-anniversary special coming next month in the Lawrence Journal-World and on KUSports.com.

If so, call Ryan Greene at (785) 832-6357 or e-mail to editor@kusports.com