Seniors Rodrick Stewart, left, and Jeremy Case watch a highlight reel during the KU basketball awards ceremony at Allen Fieldhouse.

There’s a poignant picture of former Kansas University basketball guard Jeremy Case included in the montage of highlights plastered on the wall outside the northwest tunnel of Allen Fieldhouse.

Case, wearing a 2008 national title hat, is shown with a tear dropping from his left eye following the Jayhawks’ 75-68 overtime decision over Memphis on April 7, 2008 in San Antonio’s Alamodome.

“The first thing I did when I saw that was call Jeremy. I said, ‘Jeremy, you’re just a big crybaby,'” KU assistant coach Kurtis Townsend said with a smile, affectionately ribbing the Jayhawks’ newest member of the coaching profession.

Case is in his first year on Dickey Nutt’s staff at Southeast Missouri State.

“Coach Townsend gave me a hard time about it. He was making fun of me pretty much,” Case said with a laugh in a phone conversation from the hoops offices in Cape Girardeau, Mo. “I haven’t seen it (mural) yet. I heard it’s nice, though.”

The ’08 national title capped a memorable five-year KU career for Case, a 6-foot-1 combo guard from McAlester (Okla.) High School, who spent a sixth year in Lawrence as a grad assistant on coach Bill Self’s staff.

Opportunity knocked after the 2008-09 season when Nutt offered Case a job at the Ohio Valley conference school.

“I enjoyed my time at KU. As much as I wanted to play (more), I had a blast, got me a championship and a whole bunch of Big 12 championships and got to play for the best coach in the country,” said Case, who played on four conference championship teams and earned one league title ring as a staff member.

“(But) I needed a change in scenery,” Case added. “I needed to go out on my own.”

Case’s first full-time assistant coaching job comes at a program that’s, of course, much smaller than the national powerhouse at KU.

He’s getting used to some of the obvious differences.

“Recruiting is interesting. It’s harder to recruit on this level because of money. You’ve got to drive wherever you go,” Case said, noting the person in charge of the rental car company in Cape Girardeau happens to be a KU graduate.

“We are only a couple hours from Memphis and a couple hours from St. Louis. Those are two spots we try to hit up. At our level, you’ve got to start early on a kid to build a relationship with him. You can’t hop in on a kid late and expect to get him like a Kansas or North Carolina can. We’ve got to get on him early and build the best relationship we can.”

Non-conference games — known as guarantee games — are different, as well. SE Missouri State has lost to Memphis (87-57), Saint Louis (59-41), Illinois State (93-53) and Southern Illinois (86-65) in opening this season with a 4-8 record.

“It’s real tough. We go in with an open mind and as much confidence as we can,” Case said. “At the end of the day, they are a little more athletic, bigger than we are. We try to find mismatches and attack them the best we can.”

Case now helps develop the game plan for bigger and smaller opponents alike. He’s taken what he learned from scouting reports at KU in implementing his own reports at SE Missouri State.

“I try to do mine just like they do them at KU. It’s the only way I know,” Case said. “Our coach likes it. I try to be as detailed as I can. I try to find every weakness I can. I can’t watch as many games as they (Jayhawk coaches) do. They have better equipment than we do.”

Case has found himself copying head coach Bill Self in at least one regard.

“I am always telling players they are not playing hard enough. They think they are,” Case said. “I was one of those guys who always thought he was playing hard. Coach Self didn’t always think so.

“Our guys buy into what we say. They are good about listening.”

Case said the hardest thing about his new job “is separating myself from the players. I’m still at an age (25) I can play a little bit and I tend to compare everybody to Kansas because it’s all I know. I watch our players and think, ‘They don’t do what kids at Kansas do.’ I still do that every now and then, not as much as I used to.”

KU coach Self believes Case is a rising star in the coaching profession.

“He’s cut from the same cloth as guys like Aaron (Miles, pro player in Europe) and Mike Lee. I should say moreso like Mike because he’s an assistant coach now (at Gardner-Webb) who is cutting his teeth,” Self said.

“Coaching is in Jeremy’s blood,” Self added, noting Case’s dad, Win, is assistant coach at Middle Tennessee State. “He’ll be a very effective recruiter and certainly understands the game. He’s such a sharp guy. It’ll be a matter of time before he’s coaching at a really high level. He’s doing very well now.”

Case, who follows KU closely, believes the 2009-10 Jayhawks can go as far as his 2008 team did.

“I think they’ve got all the tools and weapons they need,” Case said. “If they can keep it together and are focused … they have all the talent they can ask for.”

Case hopes the current Jayhawk players wind up with a national title ring … just like the one he puts to good use.

“I try to wear my ring in recruiting,” Case said, “because it’s a good icebreaker. It’s something I can talk about. A lot of people are interested in it. I’m not wearing it to flash in anybody’s face. Coach (Nutt) thinks it’s great. He’s a big coach Self fan.”

Case obviously wouldn’t mind returning to work for Self someday.

“They’ve got a full staff right now,” Case said. “I’ve got to get me some experience and recruiting under my belt. If one of them gets a job, I’ll hopefully make my way back if coach will have me.

“I talk to them (KU assistants) and e-mail them when I can. They have so much on their plate at No. 1, getting hit up by everybody. I might have a question here or there. We’re close. I can stay in touch with all of them. They’re good about that, always interested in what former players are doing.”

Townsend especially enjoys visiting with Case.

“The best thing about Jeremy is he cares so much,” Townsend said.

Enough to shed a tear after the biggest game of his life.