Kansas guard Josh Jackson sits for questions from reporters during Media Day on Thursday, Oct. 13, 2016 at Allen Fieldhouse. One of the big topics at this year's media day was KU coach Bill Self discussing a likely four-guard lineup, in which Jackson would play a big role.

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I’m taking the opportunity to thank in-season KU athletes I enjoy interviewing the most.

Meet the Delightful Dozen:

1 – Josh Jackson (basketball): Smart, honest, personable and candid in interviews, Jackson never slips into cliches and specializes in colorful responses.

Loved his answer when he was asked about his reach-way-back, rim-rocking slam in Monday night’s game victory over UAB:

“Well, I’ve heard Russell Westbrook say, ‘I dunk the ball so hard so nobody challenges me when I go to the basket,’ so that’s what I’m trying to do,” Jackson said.

I just figured it was fun throwing one down with such fury, but Jackson actually had a strategic plan behind it. Fascinating.

2 – Montell Cozart (football): Few recent Kansas athletes have taken as much criticism as Cozart over the past few years from fans and, to a lesser degree, from the media, and Telly, as teammates are fond of calling him, never changes his pleasant demeanor. He has extremely thick skin and doesn’t mail in answers during interviews.

If I had to guess which KU athlete would maintain the most friendships with others from within the department for the rest of his or her life, I’d guess Cozart.

Wait, I’m having a premonition. I’m in Athens, Ohio. It’s Sept. 10, 2017. I’m interviewing Cozart about returning a kickoff for a touchdown to help Kansas end its road losing streak. He works praise for quarterback Peyton Bender’s big day into his quote because he’s really good at calling attention to the accomplishments of teammates, especially quarterbacks.

3 – Daniel Wise (football): More than once, Wise has found himself explaining dustups with players from opposing teams. He always handles those queries with good humor and honesty. He’s never afraid to blast himself for letting his emotions get the best of him and completely understands why he’s asked about it when that happens.

His explanation of getting into it with Texas Tech players before the game: “Of course, the atmosphere is already tense. Everybody’s ready to play. It’s on Thursday night. It’s prime-time television. Energy and intensity was there, and it just took one little thing, I guess, and it just went down from there.”

Notice there was no promise he wouldn’t do the same thing in a similar situation next time. He knows himself too well to make promises he can’t keep.

4 – Fish Smithson (football): You could sit there and pepper him for 30 minutes with extremely detailed questions about all of his responsibilities as a safety and he would stay focused and supply detailed answers without blinking. Come to think of it, I did do that once and he hung in there without slipping into lazy answers.

5 – Devonte Graham (basketball): Smart, funny, engaging, energetic, upbeat, colorful. The dynamo you see playing on the court brings the same energy to post-game interviews, just as another dynamo, Kansas provost Neeli Bendapudi, would bring the same energy to the chancellor position, if chosen, as she has to her other prestigious posts at the university.

6 – Dorance Armstrong, Jr. (football): The coolest thing about interviewing KU’s best NFL prospect since Aqib Talib — remember, All-Pro cornerback Chris Harris signed as an undrafted free agent — is that it shines through how much he enjoys life as a student-athlete at Kansas.

7 – Landen Lucas (basketball): He’s really smart and has a mature take on the world. When he returns to the form he showed last season, he’ll have a good explanation for what threw him off course, unless it’s his sore foot, in which case he might not want to go there for fear it might sound to some like an excuse.

8 – Kelsie Payne (volleyball): She is to kills what Jackson is to dunks. Jackson bruises the rim. Payne bruises the floor. An All-American as a sophomore, she should be showing conceit by now, but is not. Nice, funny and candid.

9 – Maggie Anderson (volleyball): Kind and thoughtful, Anderson saw the blank look on my face last November and December when she used volleyball terms. Upon spotting the vacuous expression, Maggie quietly stopped herself to explain the meaning of the term and then resumed her thought. She did so without even a hint of condescension.

It’s obvious being a part of such a terrific team in a sport she so loves means a great deal to Anderson, a native of volleyball-crazed Nebraska. It’s easy to see why she’s considered an ideal teammate.

10 – Ainise Havili (volleyball): Some geniuses come so naturally to things that they can’t articulate just how it is they do what they do. Havili not only is good at every aspect of her sport, she’s excellent at explaining the nuances of each of her many skills and those of teammates.

11 – Keith Loneker, Jr. (football): He loves playing football for the hometown school, enjoys talking about it, and does so in an intelligent manner.

12 – Madison Rigdon (volleyball): Always a delight to interview, even though she talks at roughly the same velocity of one of her nasty serves. If … she … could … just … slow … down … a … little.