Print edition: 
LAWRENCE — Travis Releford is a glue guy.
His willingness to do everything it takes for Kansas to win seemingly takes different shapes each game and, in an unflashy way, he has helped keep the Jayhawks on track during a nine-game winning streak.
Scoring, as needed. Rebounding, sure. Defensive stopper, first and foremost.
Releford’s duties won’t change tonight, when Kansas takes on Texas A&M at Allen Fieldhouse. He’ll likely draw the assignment of the Aggies’ best offensive swingman, perhaps Elston Turner, who scored 23 in A&M’s overtime victory over Oklahoma on Saturday.
Releford regularly offers that and more, including delivering in the clutch, as was the case in the No. 7 Jayhawks’ 69-66 victory at Texas on Saturday.
With four points, his lowest output in a Big 12 game and below the 10.1 scoring average he carried into the game, Saturday’s contribution looks paltry at first blush.
But Releford, the 6-foot-5 junior who played at Bishop Miege, grabbed six rebounds and authored the game’s signature moment on defense.
It came with about a minute remaining and the Jayhawks down by one. Kansas, which had trailed by four only two minutes earlier, had just blown a chance to take the lead when Tyshawn Taylor missed two free throws and Thomas Robinson couldn’t finish a stickback.
Texas had the momentum and a basket here, perhaps a three-pointer by long-distance specialist J’Covan Brown, who had sparked the Longhorns’ comeback from a 15-point deficit, could have sent the Jayhawks reeling.
Brown took aim, from the left wing. But Releford extended his frame and got a hand on the ball. The Jayhawks kept charging and handed Texas its first home loss of the season.
“I came over the screen and got a hand on the shot, and in that case you have to be sure not to foul,” Releford said.
The block, only his fifth of the season, was clean, and Releford had come through again.
In the Big 12 season, Releford had a game where he scored 28 points. He’s had an 11-rebound game, and a four-assist game, but he leads Kansas in none of those categories.
Where does he lead the team besides, as coach Bill Self says, energy? In league play, Releford tops the Jayhawks in minutes played, at 33.7 per Big 12 game, attesting to his indispensability. Plus, he’s made a team-best 42.1 percent of his threes.
“You know with this team, we have Thomas Robinson and Tyshawn Taylor, they’re our key players when it comes to scoring,” Releford said. “When they’re getting pressured I can take some of the pressure off them.”
That’s what happened at Oklahoma, when Releford got his career-high 28 points, which followed his 16-point output against Kansas State. The effort earned Releford the Big 12’s player of the week award.
But scoring from Releford isn’t viewed as a requirement. If the Jayhawks need it, it’s there.
The constant is the defense. With his ability to blanket an opponent without fouling — only Taylor has fewer fouls among starters — Releford has made defense his calling card.
“I go into every game watching to guard the other team’s best player,” Releford said. “If I can cut off the best scorer, that gives us a better chance to win.”
At the moment for A&M, that’s Turner, the 6-5 transfer from Washington, who scored seven of the Aggies’ 16 overtime points in the 81-75 victory that improved their record to 11-7 overall and 2-4 in the Big 12.
A&M’s other top gun is 6-7 forward Khris Middleton, the preseason all-conference selection who’s been slowed by preseason knee surgery. Middleton missed the first seven games and played only 15 minutes on Saturday when he aggravated the knee.
If Middleton plays, Releford could draw that defensive duty as well. Kansas asks plenty of Releford, and he’s delivered.
