Say this about Kansas University’s 2000-2001 men’s basketball schedule:
It is different.
“The schedule is screwy. It is somewhat unusual,” KU coach Roy Williams said.
The Jayhawks, off to a 10-1 start heading into Saturday’s Sprint Shootout contest against Southwest Missouri State (8:05 p.m., Kemper Arena), played nine games, counting two exhibitions, during the first 29 days of the season.
Included was a stretch of five straight home games in 13 days against North Dakota, Boise State, Washburn, Middle Tennessee State and Illinois State.
Now, KU is in the midst of a bizarre five-week stretch of Saturday-only games.
The Jayhawks pounded Tulsa, 92-69, on Saturday, Dec. 16, at Allen Fieldhouse and nipped Ohio State, 69-68, last Saturday in Columbus, Ohio.
On Saturday, it’s KU versus the Bears, 4-4 entering tonight’s game against Stetson in Springfield, Mo.
On Saturday, Jan. 6, KU travels to Texas Tech. Then on Saturday, Jan. 13, KU heads to Oklahoma before playing host to Nebraska on Wednesday, Jan. 17.
A lot of practice sessions are on the upcoming slate; very few games.
“We come back from Christmas and have three weeks of Saturday games with nothing in between. Hopefully we’ll get a lot of work done from an execution standpoint and not work them so hard they won’t have their legs on game day,” Williams said.
The Jayhawk players now know how college football players feel, playing solely on Saturday.
“It might be good and it might be bad,” sophomore forward Drew Gooden said. “You would like to get in a flow where you are playing a game every three days. There are a whole lot of gaps in there for practice.
“Guys can get tired and injuries come up a lot during that time. We just have to get that out of our head and when we play just go out there and play.”
The Jayhawk players, who headed home for the Christmas holiday after Saturday’s game, were to congregate for a pair of practices today in preparation for SW Missouri State.
“I’m happy they are home spending time with their families. That is important,” Williams said. “I gave them an extra day. It puts pressure on them to jump back in it quickly. I’m looking forward to practice Thursday, watching the tape (of OSU game) then bringing them back Thursday night.”
Some KU fans were incensed Kenny Gregory was tooted for a technical foul for hanging on the rim after a vicious dunk last Saturday at Ohio State.
After viewing game films, KU coach Williams has no problem with the call.
“When you look at it, Kenny did what he is not supposed to do. He held the rim and pulled himself up in a chinning move,” Williams said on his Hawk Talk radio show. “We are trying to get the officials to call the rules that are in the books. A huge majority of officials would probably have passed on it, but I can’t complain about that call. You have to be able to dunk it without hanging on the rim.”
Williams didn’t see the dunk in person. Let him explain:
“I knew it was pretty much going to be a dunk. I didn’t care about watching it. I knew it’d be two points for us. I was turning (as Gregory stormed in for uncontested slam) and tried to get Kirk’s attention to signal a defense,” he said of point guard Kirk Hinrich.
“All of a sudden the whistle blows and it was a surprise.”
ESPN has released a list of its top 100 high school prospects. Three of KU’s four signees made the list. Aaron Miles, a point guard from Portland, Ore., ranks 22nd; Keith Langford, a shooting guard from Crowley, Texas ranks 48th and Wayne Simien, a power forward from Leavenworth, ranks 73rd. Portland shooting guard Michael Lee did not make ESPN’s top 100 list. Neither did Jeff Hawkins, the KC Sumner point guard who will walk on KU’s team next year, then be put on scholarship for the 2002-03 season.
