Jayhawks take extra day off

By Jim Baker     Dec 29, 2000

Roy Williams gave his Kansas basketball players a gift this Christmas:

An extra day home for the holiday.

“I sort of took a chance and gave them a day more than I originally planned,” Williams said Thursday afternoon. “That puts the weight on their shoulders to really be ready to go when they come back.”

He set his players free after last Saturday’s 69-68 victory over Ohio State in Columbus, Ohio. The players weren’t required to return to campus until Thursday.

Because of weather-related problems, two Jayhawks were unable to make it back Thursday and missed both an afternoon shooting workout and night-time practice at Allen Fieldhouse.

North Dakota junior Jeff Boschee had a pair of flights canceled in snowy Minneapolis and spent the night at a hotel near the airport. He was due back today. Freshman Mario Kinsey, of Waco, Texas, also had several flights canceled. He was due in Thursday night after practice.

KU has just two days to prepare for Saturday’s game against Southwest Missouri State. Tip is 8:05 p.m. at Kemper Arena in Kansas City, Mo.

“When I was JV coach at North Carolina, one year our team had 21 straight days off. I brought ’em back and had ’em play an 11 a.m. game on a Saturday morning. We had our best game of the year. It ticked me off. I told ’em it showed me how worthless my coaching was,” Williams said.

KU’s coach did not demand the players work out on their own during their four-day break.

“I would not be surprised if a couple of our guys had been in the gym while they were gone. In fact I’d be shocked if some of them were not. Yet I’d be shocked if a couple of them said they were in the gym too,” Williams said.

Williams continues to be amazed at the toughness of sophomore Kirk Hinrich, who was able to continue playing last Saturday after an Ohio State player poked him in the eye in the first half.

Hinrich, who suffered a bruised eyeball, was able to practice Thursday.

“He is one tough sucker,” Williams said. “He takes a blow to the eye and still finishes the play. If you see the tape, he gets whacked, covers it (eye) up, looks at his hand and sees he’s bleeding. The whole time he’s dribbling, sees a teammate and throws it to him for a layup.

“I was impressed with that play and that kid and his toughness. I’ve been on the team some,” the coach noted. “We’ve had a couple guys with hangnails who want me to call the ambulance.”

Until watching the tape, Williams was unaware Hinrich sprained an ankle during the Ohio State game.

“He goes down in a heap, grabs his ankle, walks to the top of the key, bends over and never says one word to anybody,” Williams said.

KU’s travel plans for the Sprint Shootout have changed.

The Jayhawks, who were to spend the night at a Kansas City hotel tonight, will instead remain in Lawrence. The reason? Kemper Arena is unavailable for a shoot-around Saturday afternoon. The KC Knights of the ABA will be playing in a noon tipoff Saturday at Kemper.

Williams attended the Knights’ home opener on Wednesday at Kemper.

Ex-Jayhawk Kevin Pritchard is the first-year Knights’ coach. Former KU players Ryan Robertson, Rex Walters and Darrin Hancock play for the ABA2000 squad.

“I think Ryan can help some people and Rex could continue to help people. I hope they both would get opportunities (in the NBA), yet Kevin would like to keep them in Kansas City for a while, too,” Williams said.

“It was fun for me. Darrin steps over the rail and gives me a big hug. I got to see all three of them play. I was sitting four to five rows behind the bench and got to watch Kevin coach. I had a great time.”

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