The chance that Roy Williams returns for a 13th season as Kansas University’s head coach isn’t a coin flip in KU center Eric Chenowith’s mind.
“From the outside, they’re saying it’s 50-50,” Chenowith said Friday night from his childhood Orange, Calif., home. “My view is it’s 90-10 he’s coming back.”
Chenowith was like most of the returning and soon-to-be Jayhawks who were blindsided by the surprise announcement of Bill Guthridge’s retirement from North Carolina and the resultant media report claiming Williams already had been named Guthridge’s replacement.
“I was driving home from a funeral reception at 2 in the morning (Friday), and I got home and had a voice mail from my girlfriend’s dad, who read on ESPN that coach already had taken the job,” Chenowith said. “I broke down again. I was crying at the funeral, and I cried again.
“I woke up early in the morning and I watched ESPN all day. But I talked to coach Williams and coach (Joe) Holladay and coach (Ben) Miller and got all the facts straight and I felt better. When I first heard it I was really confused, extremely confused. It’s been a tough week already, and hearing that I was breaking down. People are saying it’s 50-50, but after talking to coach Williams it sounds like he’s going to stay. All we can do is sit and wait.”
At least Chenowith had some time to absorb the news of Guthridge’s retirement. Nick Collison, a sophomore-to-be, woke up Friday morning unaware how his world would be rocked.
“I was talking to my mom this morning, and she said Guthridge resigned,” Collison said. “Then I read it in the paper. By 11:30, I heard the AP said he took the job. One day I’m not thinking anything about it. The next, this happens. If you had asked me yesterday if Guthridge was going to retire, I’d say, ‘No, he just went to the Final Four.”
The events leading up to Williams’ evening news conference where he asked for patience from KU fans as he made his decision cast a surreal pall on Collison’s day.
“It was different, weird all day,” Collison said. “I was shocked like everybody else. I talked to Kenny (Gregory) about it, but nobody knows what to think.”
Actually, Gregory immediately discounted the Associated Press’ premature report that Williams already had been selected.
“If it was a done deal, coach would have enough respect to talk to the players first. He always said he would. I take his word for it,” Gregory said.
He attended Williams’ evening press conference, kept a low profile in the back of the room and beat a hasty retreat while politely declining further comment.
One member of next year’s recruiting class a small part, since KU is expected to have six available scholarships after the 2000-2001 season is waiting for the situation to resolve before commenting.
Wayne Simien, a 6-foot-8 senior-to-be forward at Leavenworth High who gave Kansas an early, nonbinding oral commitment, will wait until UNC has a new coach before confirming his pledge.
“We’re not going to say anything,” Wayne Simien Sr. said Friday night. “We’ll let coach Williams make his decision. We won’t make any rash judgments. Wayne’s got a lot of time. Everyone has known all along that coach Williams would be offered this position. We just didn’t expect it this soon.
“But we’ll wait and see what happens. If he leaves, well, that would be Wayne’s decision. We feel time is on our side on this one. We’ll have plenty of time after everything’s settled,” he added.
A more immediate newcomer still plans to come to KU if he’s allowed. Chris Zerbe, an Andover native who played the last two years at Hutchinson Community College, had been reserved a walk-on spot next season by Williams.
“Playing Kansas basketball is my ultimate dream,” Zerbe said. “If coach Williams leaves, if the new coaches still wants me to come here and walk on, I’m game for it. I’d definitely still come here. But it sounds like coach Williams really hasn’t made up his mind. I’m in Lawrence now. I just got here (Friday night), and I love driving around and seeing the signs all over the place: ‘KU loves Roy Williams.’ It’s amazing how much love there is in this town for coach Williams.”
KU has just one incoming scholarship freshman Texan Bryant Nash. He was playing a youth basketball game Friday night and didn’t return home before press time.
A common thread for all the Jayhawks contacted was support for Williams.
“If he leaves, I’d be fine with that,” Chenowith said. “He’d be following a dream. I don’t want to be selfish and make somebody not live the life they want to lead. But if he stays, I’d really value that. That would really motivate me. Coach doesn’t need advice from me, but I’m telling him to think about himself.”
“I’d definitely love for him to stay,” added Collison. “When I was being recruiting, I asked him if he’d ever leave. He never said he wouldn’t, but he always said he really likes Kansas. The NBA offered him millions of dollars and he didn’t go. I really think he doesn’t know right now. It’s going to be a real tough decision for him. He’s got ties back there and ties here. I’d love to have him stay, but if he ends up moving on, I guess I wish him the best.”
If Williams moves on, would Collison?
“It’s up in the air,” he said. “Nobody knows what’s going to happen. If he comes back and this is all for nothing, it’s a big relief. If he leaves, it’s all up in the air. There would be a little uncertainty about my future, or about the team’s future. I really like it here. It’s one of the great programs in the nation regardless. But I’d have to look into everything. But that’s a long ways away.
“In the ideal situation, he just stays here and this is all for nothing.”
