Earl Richardson/J-W PhotoRoy Williams knows Bobby Knight.
He likes Bobby Knight.
“I could play for Bob Knight. I have no problem saying that,” Williams, Kansas University’s basketball coach, said Wednesday, commenting about Indiana University’s embattled coach.
Knight was allowed to keep his job this week, but fined and suspended three games by IU’s president, in part for choking former Hoosier player Neil Reed at practice.
“The only problem was I was not good enough and coach Knight didn’t ask me to play there,” quipped Williams, who played JV ball at North Carolina.
Would Williams want his son to play for Knight?
“I don’t know what kind of coach I’d want my son to play for. I know I enjoyed him playing for Bill Guthridge,” Williams said of Scott Williams, who played for Dean Smith’s successor at North Carolina.
“Bob Knight wants the right things for his kids, his team and all of college basketball. He has made some mistakes, like all of us have.”
Williams, by the way, says he’s never felt the urge to choke a KU player.
“I’ve been a lot closer to choking the media,” he quipped.
He has made contact with some KU players in the past.
“I remember one night I grabbed both Billy Thomas and Paul Pierce by the jersey. We were playing Colorado and trying to get somebody to front Donnie Boyce,” Williams said. “I grabbed Paul and Billy. I pulled ’em both where they could hear me and grabbed ’em by the jerseys.”
Williams pulled Pierce and Thomas from the lineup, inserting walk-on T.J. Whatley who fronted Boyce and forced an immediate steal, leading to a KU layup.
“One time at practice I grabbed Alonzo (Jamison) just because I was trying to get him to move faster than he was moving. I’d thrown him out of practice. But no, I’ve never thought of choking a player … or the media either,” he said with a grin.
Wake series on tap: Williams said KU has agreed to play Wake Forest in a home-and-home series. The Jayhawks will travel to Winston-Salem, N.C., next year with the Demon Deacons coming to Allen Fieldhouse the following season.
KU also will travel to DePaul and Ohio State next season and play at the Coaches v. Cancer Classic at New York’s Madison Square Garden. The Classic field includes St. John’s, Kentucky and UCLA.
Tulsa will be KU’s top home nonconference opponent next season. The schedule is not complete and will be released in July or August.
Golf trip looms: Williams is headed to Scotland next month on an ambitious golf trip.
“I turn 50 this summer. It’s going to be a present I’m giving to myself,” Williams quipped. “Eight of us (golfers) and six wives are going to Scotland. Six of us are from the Lawrence area, one of my buddies from California and my high school coach.”
KU football coach Terry Allen will be included in the group.
“We’ll go 10 days. We play 36 holes a day six straight days — three days on the Eastern side of Scotland and three days on the Western side,” Williams said.
Today, KU’s coach will team with Bob Eastwood in the Pro-Am portion of the TD Waterhouse Senior Tour championship at Tiffany Greens in Kansas City, Mo.
“I’ve got a great reputation and a sorry golf game so I hope I start playing better,” Williams said.
Axtell healthy: Williams, as reported last week, will welcome back Luke Axtell for his senior season. Axtell, a 6-foot-10 guard/forward, left the squad after 20 games last year because of an undisclosed medical condition.
“When he was at the banquet (in April) I told Luke he looked better than I’d ever seen him,” Williams said. “Not just because he had a haircut. He looked fresher, better.
“He did entertain some thoughts (of playing pro ball next year),” KU’s coach added. “I tried to find some information for him, whether it be NBA or Europe or whatever.
“(But) I fully expected him to be back and he is back now. And I have to think if he’s feeling better, he’ll play better.”
Concerns expressed: A member of the National Association of Basketball Coaches Board of Directors, Williams spoke his mind at a recent meeting with the NCAA Men’s Tournament Committee.
He told committee members it was not right for Charles Range to have officiated KU’s second-round NCAA Tournament game against Duke.
Range, you recall, was suspended by the Big 12 last year.
The tournament committee has asked conferences to provide such information in the future to avoid such slip-ups.
“I told them they should have had the information anyway. That was something that should have not happened for Charlie or us,” Williams said. “It had to be uncomfortable for Charlie. If there had been a crucial call at the end, it would have been a difficult situation for him.”
Summer recruiting: It’s been rumored Williams will be asked to serve on an NCAA committee that will be asked to find solutions for the summer recruiting problem.
Williams said if shoe company representatives, high school federation officials, college coaches and administrators discuss the problem, perhaps summer recruiting will be saved. There’s a proposal to eliminate it entirely in two years.
“I have no idea who will be on it. I know (Kentucky athletics director) C.M. Newton and (Syracuse president) Buzz Shaw are involved. I do know some coaches will be on it. I don’t know how many,” Williams indicated.
