Gospel according to Luke

By Gary Bedore     Dec 29, 2000

Earl Richardson/J-W Photo
Luke Axtell grabs a rebound for Kansas against Ohio State. Axtell scored seven points in 13 minutes during the Jayhawks' victory last Saturday at Columbus, Ohio.

Luke Axtell has come a long way in the past year.

“Yes, my life has definitely turned around,” Axtell, Kansas University’s senior shooting guard, said Thursday. “I don’t think there was any other way to go besides better.”

Axtell left KU’s basketball team 11 months ago because of an undisclosed medical condition, a condition he still is not willing to discuss.

The 6-foot-10 Texan is, however, willing to share some personal aspects of his life one specific circumstance that has made him a changed man.

He was “reborn” on Sept. 19 his 22nd birthday.

“I was re-baptized that night. I got baptized in an apartment pool,” Axtell said. “It has changed everything, obviously. Instead of going to the bars, or doing whatever I used to do which basically was living in sin I have surrounded myself with other Christians.

“It’s a life-changer right there, who you surround yourself with. The Lord has worked miracles in my life since then.”

Axtell was using bars as an example. Contrary to rumor, he never has had a drinking problem.

“It’s just how I was living. I lived to an extreme. When I lived in sin, I lived in sin,” Axtell said. “It’s not like I robbed a convenience store or something. If you are asking about last year (illness) this has nothing to do with it.

“I’ve been around Bible teachings all my life. It just came to a point right after my birthday after my birthday party that night, I realized something had to change.

“Things I used in this life to satisfy me in place of God were not bringing any peace whatsoever. I always knew when I made that commitment my life would change, but I was not ready to make a commitment yet. When I did (on Sept. 19) I wasn’t the least bit disappointed. Every day life … the power of God which if you have experienced that is truly amazing.”

Axtell said he now is better able to understand things that have happened in his life his medical condition, his sister suffering a near-fatal brain injury in 1996, his mother’s illness years ago.

“He (God) has used everything in my life to eventually bring me to him,” Axtell said.

Axtell he is affiliated with the Morning Star Christian Church here and Champions of Christ group in Austin, Texas realizes the subject of religion can be a touchy one.

Hence, he is not trying to push his faith on his teammates.

“If somebody forced this on me when I was living for myself, I’d have said the heck with you. So I do not do that,” Axtell said.

It helps that he considers his teammates top-notch individuals.

“We’ve got a good bunch of guys,” he said. “It’s hard. I see some people and I say they could have so much more.

“It’s not like something where I’m down on anybody, but I just see some people in my life and think they could have so much more, they just don’t know it. I know who I am in the Lord. I see those guys and want them to have what I have.”

Axtell has endured some trials in this, his final season at KU.

He has played in just five of the Jayhawks’ 10 games because of left ankle sprains.

The ankle, he said, is finally feeling fine. He scored seven points and hit a pivotal three in the second half of last Saturday’s 69-68 victory over Ohio State.

“It’s a little weak, but there’s no pain. That’s all I care about really,” Axtell said. “It was fine against Ohio State when you are curling off a screen or something is when you notice it. I can go full force right now.”

He rested the ankle for four days after the Ohio State game, not working out during Christmas vacation.

“I didn’t touch a ball,” Axtell said. He returned to the court for practice on Thursday. “My parents are in town we were opening presents, doing all that kind of stuff, having fun. I’m not worried about my shot.”

Long-range bomber Axtell has made 10 of 22 three-pointers for 45.5 percent. Overall he’s averaging 8.8 points a game on 46.9 percent shooting. He’s still trying to become a complete player, not hoisting shots every time he touches the ball.

“We have so many options,” he said. “If we have a go-to (guy), it’ll be spread among seven guys.”

He admits he sometimes misses the days when he could launch 25-footers at will in high school and his freshman year at Texas but quickly adds, “That doesn’t help this team any. Any one of us could go somewhere else and average close to 20 (points). We sacrifice ourselves for the sake of the team. We all understand that. Really, we’ve got a bunch of guys who want to win.”

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