KU players like new coach

By J-W Staff Reports     Jul 9, 1988

He’s not nearly as well-known as, say, Ohio State basketball coach Gary Williams.

But apparently, KU’s Williams — Roy Williams — suits Jayhawk basketball players and recruits just fine.

“Yeah, it’s good to know who your coach is,” said senior-to-be Lincoln Minor, adding that without a coach, “It’s sort of like being an orphan.”

Williams met with the players at 4 p.m. Friday in the Jayhawk basketball office, but only three — Minor, Kevin Pritchard and Mark Randall — attended since most were working at a basketball camp in Johnson County.

“He’s a good coach and a good person,” Pritchard said. “I could tell from what he said that he’s the type of guy you can go talk to about any type of problem or anything you need to talk about.”

Randal agreed.

“He’s a great guy,” he said. “He sounded very articulate.”

Randall, too, was relieved the Jayhawks had direction.

“I’m glad it’s settled,” he said. “We need to get to the point of concentrating for next season. Everyone is still living off that high of a national championship. We need to start making goals for next season.”

“I’m very excited,” said Freeman West, a juco transfer from Paris Community College in Texas, who indicated roommate Rickky Calloway would also be staying. “Coming from a junior college, when coach Brown left, I was very disappointed. The fact that he’s worked with Dean Smith pleases me.

“I like the fact he said we’ll play an aggressive, up-tempo game. I’m really impressed with the rate of graduation of his players. At North Carolina, 160 of 166 players graduated. Getting a degree will be a dream fulfilled for me. I know everybody will accept him. There’s still a Kansas-North Carolina connection.”

Malcolm Nash, a 6-7 forward from Vashon High in St. Louis, said by phone that he thought Williams should be given the same respect he’d have shown to former KU coach Larry Brown, who resigned last month to coach the NBA’s San Antonio Spurs.

“A coach is a coach,” said Nash. “If he’s a good coach, and he can do half the things coach Brown could do, we’ll have the same success. It doesn’t make any difference if it’s a big-name coach.”

As for Williams, Nash said, “I don’t know him. I’ve just heard of him. I’d just heard he’s one of the candidates for the position.”

Sean Tunstall, a 6-3 guard who also attended Vashon High in St. Louis, said he, too, didn’t know much about Williams.

Tunstall’s reaction to the selection?

“It’s OK,” he said.

Tunstall said there were “a lot of people” he would have liked to see KU name as coach, but he added he hasn’t been anxiously awaiting word of the announcement.

“I haven’t really been thinking about it,” he said.

Nash and Tunstall both said they’re still planning to attend KU.

“My plans are to attend the University of Kansas,” Nash said. “I haven’t really given it any thought (about who the new coach would be).”

A member of the Garden City Community College coaching staff spoke with Jayhawk signee Omar Roland after the announcement.

“I don’t see any problem in that regard,” said the coach, referring to Roland coming to Kansas. “I’m sure he’ll want to visit with the new coach and discuss his philosophy and where he’ll fit in. But he’s signed and committed to coming to Kansas and he indicated no problem.”

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