Kansas staff member's half-court shot wins $10,000 for student

For the second straight year, Kansas staffer Brennan Bechard cost Bill Self $10,000.

Bechard, the Jayhawks' director of basketball operations, made a half-court shot during Saturday's Late Night in the Phog to earn Kansas sophomore Jordan Stiers $10,000 from the Jayhawks coach.

Two students were randomly chosen to either take the half-court shot themselves or select someone else to shoot it. Last year, Bechard made the shot for student Jerrod Castro.

Bechard is a Lawrence native who was a walk-on at Kansas from 2007 to 2009. He averaged 0.5 points in 35 career games.

After being mobbed by the KU players and watching Self write out a check to Stiers, Bechard met with the media in attendance and was asked whether he should have gotten on the court more as a player.

"Without a doubt," Bechard said. "And you guys should tell Coach Self that when he comes in here too."

"I should have played him more," Self told the media. "In like full-court situations with one second left on the clock. Put him in just to shoot that shot."

Stiers said she planned to use the money to help her grandmother pay bills, according to The Kansas City Star.

Kansas played a 20-minute intrasquad scrimmage, and sophomore Carlton Bragg led the Jayhawks with 18 points.