The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

BAHAMIAN Dwight Coleby came off the bench to deliver his best game as a member of the Kansas Jayhawks Tuesday night, and he did it at the most opportune time.

With his father Dwight Sr in the stands, the younger Coleby finished with two points, four rebounds and a game high four blocked shots in the No.5 Jayhawks’ 65-54 win over the Georgia Bulldogs to win the CBE Hall of Fame Classic.

“I didn’t really know what to expect (with) him coming here to watch me play and I wasn’t playing that much. I know he was happy,” Coleby said to KUsports.com. “I finally had a game where I played that much, It was great. It’s a great feeling. I haven’t been playing since last year and it was exciting to see the fans want to see me do good.”

With starting Kansas bigs struggling on the defensive end or in foul trouble, Jayhawks head coach Bill Self subbed in the Coleby, who he said had an immediate impact on the game.

“You think about it, he got four blocks, but he gets two points and four rebounds and every time he checked out of the game, the fans all cheered for him,” Self said. “What other bigs did they cheer for when they checked out of the game? And it’s all because he tried. He played with energy and that kind of stuff. I don’t think it’s that hard to please our fans if you give great effort and play intelligently and he did what he could tonight.”

After not playing at all in the Jayhawks first two games of the season against Indiana and Duke, Coleby played a combined total of five minutes in the next two games against Siena and UAB.

When he returned to the court healthy this season, and eligible to play following his transfer from Old Miss, Coleby showed flashes this week of what is expected to be a force in the front court for a Jayhawks team expected to be contenders for the Big 12 and National title.

Coleby was already set to spend the 2015-16 season on the sidelines as a transfer but he suffered a torn ACL in his left knee during a light team workouts last October and had to undergo a gruelling rehab process.

The 6’9” 240-pound junior forward will have two years of eligibility remaining.

Last June, Coleby announced his decision to leave the Ole Miss Rebels and join the Jayhawks programme.

The former Ole Miss Rebel said it was difficult to sit out, but he was committed to improvement on his game and playing for iconic head coach Bill Self.

Coleby averaged 5.4 points and 4.8 rebounds per game as a sophomore and was also named an SEC First-Year Academic Honour Roll in two seasons with the Rebels.

Kansas is ranked in the preseason for the 25th time in the 28-year history of the poll. The No 2 ranking marks the sixth time KU has been preseason No. 2 or higher in the coaches’ poll. Additionally, it is the 11th time in the Bill Self era the Jayhawks have been preseason seventh or higher, including each of the last five seasons.

Kansas returns three starters and eight letter winners from last season’s 33-5 team which went 15-3 in Big 12 play, winning its unprecedented 12th-straight, 16th Big 12 and NCAA-leading 59th overall conference regular-season championship.