A team of some of the area’s high school senior basketball players grouped together for one more game on Sunday before they graduated later this year — against three senior members of the Univeristy of Kansas basketball team.
The Jayhawks came to Kirkman Activity Center on the Barton Community College campus, thanks to the Great Bend Recreation Commission as part of the Barnstorming Tour.
The trio of Jayhawks — Brady Morningstar, Tyrel Reed and Mario Little — were joined by Jon Pike, a Great Bend High School graduate and part of the state champion team in 2005-06; Matt Green, a former Barton basketball player; and Kyle Kirmer, who played as a guard for Thomas More Prep-Marian in Hays.
KU and company won the game 73-67.
It’s hard to know what the first indication that this game was unlike any game the high school seniors had played during the 2010-11 season was.
Maybe it was the constantly running game clock. Maybe it was the first time the ball went out of bounds and the referees didn’t blow the whistle or maybe later when a referee called a foul on himself for contesting one of Reed’s 3-pointers.
Perhaps it was at the end of the first half when Morningstar traded places with a kid sitting in the front row of the stands.
It started as a fun ploy to involve the audience. However, when Little kicked out a pass to the kid, he proceeded to sink a 3-pointer.
Kids from the audience scored 11 of the Jayhawks’ 73 points in the game.
Greg Hildebrand, who represented Great Bend along with Dakota Ellis, said that they were honored to be a part of the GBRC all-stars.
“It was great,” Hildebrand said. “It was a blast the whole time just getting to play against Tyrel Reed, Morningstar and Little. It’s just awesome. I can’t explain it any other way.
“I’ve missed basketball so much since it ended and just getting to go out there and getting play with those guys, I can’t explain that. It’s an honor to be chosen for that.”
Kyle Corbett of Ellinwood led the area all-stars with 17   points, including the final two points in the game.
With 14.4 seconds remaining, all-stars head coach Alan Clark called a timeout to draw up a final play.
Corbett got the ball. He drove down the lane, got a boost off of Otis-Bison’s Michael Hlavaty’s back and dunked the ball as time was running out.
Kyle Bunker of the Class 1A Division I state champion Macksville Mustangs was the only other all-stars player to finish in double figures with 12 points, including a pair of 3-pointers.
“It was fun being out there with the KU guys,” Bunker said. “Those seniors, you watch them for four years and then you get to go out there and a have a little fun with them. It’s great.
“It’s good to come out here and have a little fun after a successful season.”
Courtney Liebl of Claflin, who was the only girl to represent a high school, joined Brandon Blakeslee of St. John with eight points apiece. Both players sank a couple of 3s in the game.
“I thought it was really fun,” Liebl said. “The players just made it really fun. I had a really good time. I’m just glad I wasn’t cold from not playing basketball for awhile.
“It’s a big honor to represent Claflin, especially since it’s the last year.”
Reed averaged 28.7 minutes per game for Kansas this season, averging 9.7 points. Reed also led the team from the free-throw line, shooting 79.8 percent.
Reed was the only Kansas senior to fall short of his season average. Not that it was his fault. He still scored five points a couple weeks after having surgery on his foot.
Reed played in a medical boot.
“It’s been great,” Reed said of the Barnstorming tour. “You know, we’ve been to Wichita and we went to Garden City (Saturday). Both places have been really accommodating and the fans have been great.
“It’s good for us to come out and give back to the fans that come out and watch us. We try to put on a little bit of a show. It’s just really cool and fun.”
Morningstar averaged 7.1 points per game and had the best percentage from three-point range with 41 percent.
Morningstar wowed the crowd with his fast dribbling, deep 3-point shots and alley oops to Little. He finished the game with 20 points.
“It feels great (to be a graduating senior from Kansas),” Morningstar said. “I love my time at Kansas and just trying to do this barnstorming thing. I knew about it for awhile obviously. I knew that I was going to do this so I’m excited to be here and be a part of it.”
Little, who played in 32 games this season, averaging 5.1 points, put on a show with a wide variety of dunks and finished the game with a game-high 26 points.
“I’m just having fun,” Little said. “Being able to do something with these guys just one last time, it’s pretty fun.”
During the autograph session before the game, all three of the college seniors mentioned interests in playing basketball professionally.
 “I’m going to continue to play for awhile,” Reed said. “I’m trying to figure out what I’m going to do coming up soon here. Whether it be playing in the states or somewhere overseas. Eventually I’m going back to school for physical therapy. I got into med school at KU.”
The senior trio had their season cut short of their goal in the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight round in a game against Virginia Commonwealth.
The Rams shocked Kansas, 71-61, leaving the Jayhawks with a 35-3 record.
“It was a heck of a run,” Morningstar said. “We were really good at times. We were playing the best ball we’ve been playing going into the NCAA Tournament and we just came up a little short in the Elite Eight.
“It’s tough to explain why these things happen so you don’t want to dip into it as much. I’m just happy to have played at Kansas and accomplish the things that we’ve accomplished.”
Reed said the upset loss to VCU was not enough to sway the memories that Kansas has given him.
“I had a great four years and looking back on it in the years to come it’s going to mean a lot to me,” Reed said. “I’ve really enjoyed it. We had a great season.
“I mean, 35-3 at a lot of places is, I mean it’s the second best record that we’ve had at Kansas and the historic tradition there. So I’m really proud of the season we had. It just didn’t quite end the way we wanted it to. That doesn’t define our season in that one game. I’m just proud of all the guys.”

Barnstorming Tour Basketball
Sunday
At Kirkman Activiy Center

KU & CO. 74, GBRC All-stars 67
KU & CO.
     Mario Little 12 0-0 26, Brady Morningstar 9 0-0 20, Tyrel Reed 1 1-2 5, Jon Pike 3 0-0 6, Matt Green 2 0-0 4, Kyle Kirmer 0 0-0 0, Crowd 4 1-1 11. Totals 27 2-3 74.
GBRC All-stars
     Kyle Corbett 8 0-0 17, Michael Hlavaty 2 0-0 4, Zach Minnis 1 0-0 3, Kyle Bunker 4 2-2 12, Courtney Liebl 4 0-0 8, Brandon Blakeslee 3 0-0 8, Greg Hildebrand 1 0-0 2, Dakota Ellis 1 0-0 3, Dominic Trapp 0 0-0 0, Luke Becker 1 0-0 2, Dustin Broeder 1 0-0 2, Derek Bevan 3 0-0 6. Totals 26 2-2 67.
     Three-point goals — KU & Co. 7 ( Little 2, Morningstar 2, Crowd 2, Reed); Area Allstars 9 (Bunker 2, Liebl 2, Blakeslee 2, Ellis, Corbett).