Kansas University recruiting target Verdell Jones, left, pulls up for a shot against Howard Pulley. They were among the prep standouts who played Saturday in Allen Fieldhouse.

Through the first two days of the AAU Jayhawk Invitational, it has been apparent guard play is the offensive mind-set for most teams.

And when it comes to defense, the top teams have gotten some big performances from big post players.

For a couple of those big men, they wouldn’t ask for it any other way.

“I’m big, and on the defense I’m expected to get the rebounds and block shots and keep everything out of the paint,” said Steve Moore, a member of the Kansas City Pump N Run team that won all three of its games in pool play. “Just be a defensive force, that’s what I do. I just try to get all the rebounds, block some shots and be a big defensive presence. Scoring is going to come sometimes for me. What I like to do is wait a second, let the double team come down on me and then hit the open man wherever he is.”

After scoring just two points in the first game Saturday – a 74-31 win over Kansas City Heat-Red – Moore, a 6-foot-9, 235-pound junior from Truman High in Independence, Mo., posted nine points in a 62-37 victory against Legacy X-Factor.

Nevertheless, his blocks were the talk of the crowd.

One of Moore’s rejections was a block off the backboard in transition.

Moore has received contact from some big conference schools like Virginia and Washington State, along with a few schools from the Missouri Valley Conference: Illinois State, Creighton and Missouri State.

“Some of the schools that I’d like to contact me, don’t really,” Moore said. “But I think if I have a big summer that I’ll get more looks. But right now I’m just satisfied with all the colleges and schools that have contacted me. KU, I think they’re interested, but they haven’t really contacted me yet or called me or anything like that.”

Daniel Orton of Oklahoma City Athletes First, on the other hand, has received interest from more than his share of colleges. The 6-foot-9, 210-pound sophomore out of Oklahoma City McGuinness High currently is listed as the 17th top prospect on the rivals.com top-25 recruits for the class of 2009.

It’s understandable that schools like Kansas, Ohio State, Michigan, Florida, Texas, Texas A&M, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State are interested after the performance the menacing post player put on.

In victories over Legacy X-Factor (76-49) and Kansas City Heat-Red (63-38), Orton had a combined eight blocked shots and altered seven other shots – not to mention the multiple times he was whistled for goaltending in both matches.

“I prefer the defense. I love blocking shots,” Orton said. “I just like altering shots and basically controlling tempo. I like playing defense where I can block a shot, get the ball and just kick it out to Xavier (Henry) or one of the other guards and get it up court to get easy lay-ups. I try to play perfect defense every game, which I never do, but I try.”

On offense, Orton has the same pass-first, shoot-later mentality that Moore expressed.

“Really I’m a passer. I’ve got post moves, but usually I just try to get Kyle (Hardrick) and Xavier their points,” said Orton, who missed his three shot attempts in the second game of the day. “I’m a really good post player though. I love the post, and I’m a high-post player because I can pass.”

Hardrick – a 6-8 junior from Norman High who has committed to Oklahoma – served as the offensive big man for Athletes First with his 21 points against Legacy X-Factor and another 12 versus Heat-Red.

Although Hardrick picked up plenty of rebounds with his five boards against Legacy X-Factor and 13 against Heat-Red, he said he would concede the blocks category to Orton.

“Sometimes we have little bets about who will have the most rebounds in a game,” Hardrick said. “But see, Daniel gets the blocks, but he’s taller than me – he’s real long and taller – so I never get blocks. But rebounds is what we bet on all the time.”

Hot Henry: Xavier Henry of Oklahoma City Athletes First on Saturday didn’t quite match the numbers he had against Kansas City Pump N Run on Friday.

But his performances still were good enough for Athletes First to pick up a pair of wins and advance to today’s championship bracket.

In the first game at Horejsi Family Athletic Center on Saturday, Xavier scored 26 points, going eight-for-eight at the free throw line with four rebounds, three assists and two steals in a a 76-49 win over Legacy X-Factor.

Athletes First traveled across Naismith Drive to play Kansas City Heat-Red in Robinson Gymnasium – a game originally scheduled in the afternoon at Horejsi but changed to a 7:15 p.m. start.

In a 63-38 victory against Heat-Red, Xavier ended with 14 points – only three of them coming in the second half – and was three-for-five at the charity stripe. Xavier also pulled down four rebounds, blocked three shots and dished out two assists.

Athletes First is slotted for a 8 a.m. game at Robinson against the No. 1 team from Pool B with that winner advancing to face the first-place team from Pool G at 10:30 a.m. in Robinson.

Pump N Run – the only blemish on Athletes First’s record so far – won Pool A and awaits a 10:30 a.m. game in Allen Fieldhouse against the winner of the match up between the No. 1 from Pool C and the second-place team out of Pool D.

Eighth-grade wonder: Matt Carlino, considered one of the best recruits in the class of 2011, scored 14 points in a losing effort against the Missouri Titans in the Arizona Premier’s final game of the tournament.

As just an eighth-grader, Carlino – at 6-foot-2, 160 pounds – considers himself one of the top leaders on a team of eighth graders and sophomores competing in the 17-and-under bracket.

“I don’t know how to explain it. We don’t really turn to a leader on our team, but I’m trying to be,” Carlino said. “We haven’t played that many games, so it’s hard to say right now. … We’re a young team, but we shouldn’t have any excuses out there. I think our team needs to get tougher mentally and physically, but we just need to finish ball games. We’re close all the time, but winning’s all that matters.”

Illusive Illini: Verdell Jones, a 6-4 junior from Central High in Champaign, Ill., scored 32 points for the Fort Sooy No Limit – the runner-up team from last year’s invitational.

Jones is ranked as the 81st player overall in the class of 2008 on rivals.com and 13th ranked point guard. KU, Kentucky, Illinois, Tennessee, Florida, and Arizona are at the top Jones’ list of colleges to attend.