Kansas forward Landen Lucas (33) gets a put-back bucket next to teammate Perry Ellis and over two Iowa State defenders during the second half on Saturday, March 5, 2016 at Allen Fieldhouse.

Kansas University junior forward Landen Lucas, who was named honorable mention All-Big 12 by the league’s coaches on Sunday, has also earned a spot on Sports Illustrated’s 17th-annual All-Glue Team.

“It’s cool. It is a nice honor,” the 6-foot-10, 240-pound Lucas said of joining writer Seth Davis’ squad that honors players whose contributions do not necessarily show up in the stats, but in wins and losses.

“I guess that’s a form of being a team player, doing whatever it takes to help the team win. It’s a nice sign because it means you are helping this team and being a part of this team’s success. That’s all any player really wants, is to be on a successful team and help in any way possible, whether it is encouraging people or being on the court helping them. The fact I am able to do that is definitely nice and encouraging to me,” added Lucas.

He was joined on the Glue squad by Michigan State’s Matt Costello (team captain), Xavier’s James Farr, Arizona’s Kaleb Tarczewski, Purdue’s Rapheal Davis and Duke’s Marshall Plumlee.

Lucas, who has started 12 of KU’s last 13 games (in which KU has 12-1 record; he came off bench on Senior Night), was given an expanded role by coach Bill Self after a meeting with his four regular starters (Perry Ellis, Wayne Selden Jr., Devonté Graham, Frank Mason III) after KU’s 86-67 loss to Oklahoma State on Jan. 19.

At the meeting, Self asked the players who was the best fit for the starting slot next to senior Ellis. Freshman Cheick Diallo had started the Okie State game.

The players suggested fourth-year junior Lucas get the nod.

“We were just struggling. We were laboring, and I really didn’t know what direction we needed to go as far as who would be our fifth starter. To me, starting is overrated. It’s more important who finishes than who starts. We were in a situation that Landen was basically finishing the majority of the games but playing as much throughout the game,” Self said.

“The guys felt more comfortable, not taking anything away from anybody else, but they said, ‘Coach, this gives us the best chance.’ They had input on what we did next, and certainly it has paid off. They were right. I wish everybody could play more minutes and all those things, but especially when you have as much balance as we have inside. But our team certainly has performed better with Landen being in the starting lineup,” Self added.

Lucas remembers Self telling him he’d start the Texas game — a 76-67 victory four days after the OSU rout.

“He pretty much said, ‘The guys have confidence in you.’ He was like, ‘Here’s what we can use from you.’ It was focusing on rebounding and defense. That’s what could help the team. We didn’t really talk about anything else. Since then, we’ve expanded that.

“It works,” Lucas added, “because it’s the stuff I like to do. I like to rebound. It kind of works out. It ended up being a pretty good fit.”

Lucas — he has averaged 5.5 points and 7.2 boards in Big 12 action — said it was nice having the support of the other four starters.

“I felt that confidence in them, probably starting after the Oklahoma game,” he said of his 10-rebound, seven-point outing in a 76-72 victory on Feb. 13 in Norman.

“It’s nice to get that. If there’s anybody you as a team player would want to get confidence from, it would be other guys you are out there with. To see that from them was great. To be able to go on a little win streak after that was nice (11 wins in row to conclude regular season).”

KU sophomore guard Graham explained the reasons the four players like playing with Lucas.

“He is smart. Out of all the bigs, he kind of has a better feel. Carlton (Bragg) and Cheick (Diallo) are young. Hunter … Landen’s been around (longer than Mickelson). Just the little things he can do,” Graham said. “His IQ for the game is a lot higher than a lot of guys on the squad.”

Graham said it wasn’t easy to select Lucas over his other friends on the team.

“Asking about certain teammates … you don’t want to say, ‘He shouldn’t be playing’ or ‘this guys should be playing,”’ Graham said. “At the time I had hesitancy. Coach brought it out of us (saying), ‘You don’t need to be hesitant about anything.’ We were just having heart-to-heart conversation about what’s best for the team.”

Self said he enjoys such meetings with his ballplayers, especially this one since it worked out so well.

“I don’t know if that moment was a turning point but I do think for the betterment of our team, I think inserting Landen and having him in the lineup, and letting him play more and play through mistakes and those sorts of things, when really basically no big guy had had that opportunity yet. I do think that was a turning point for our team,” Self said.