New York ? Four of the top programs in college basketball history have gathered for the Coaches Vs. Cancer Tournament.
“These programs have such a storied history, it’s almost a celebration of basketball,” said St. John’s coach Mike Jarvis.
Kansas coach Roy Williams.
His St. John’s squad will meet Kentucky at 8 tonight, after a 5:30 p.m. battle between Kansas and UCLA at Madison Square Garden.
Jayhawk coach Roy Williams his squad’s hopes of a victory took a deep hit Tuesday when Luke Axtell suffered a sprained ankle and didn’t make the trip sees just one flaw in the tourney.
“The bad thing is a team that has a chance to be a very good team will come out of here 0-2. It’s just a fact,” Williams said.
Indeed, Duke went 0-2 at the tourney a year ago, then went on to have in incredible season.
Of UCLA he said: “It’s a huge challenge for us. They are very athletic. Those guys fly around. Earl Watson out of Kansas City has had a great, great career for them. I’ve looked at their tapes, not one second of the other teams.”
KU sophomore Drew Gooden, who hails from Richmond, Calif., knows one of the Bruins quite well.
“Ray Young … I played against him in high school in the same league,” Gooden said of Young, a 6-foot-3, 210-pound junior from Oakland. “As a person, he is real cool, a real nice, sincere young man.”
KU senior center Eric Chenowith was recruited by UCLA.
He’s a big supporter of Bruin coach Steve Lavin.
“I like him a lot. He still sends Christmas cards,” Chenowith said. “He’s a class act.”
Chenowith did not grow up a UCLA fan.
“I didn’t really follow college sports. I was a Syracuse fan,” Chenowith said.
He knows some of the Bruins.
“Ryan Bailey (6-2 senior) was on my traveling team throughout high school,” he said of the Los Angeles native. Chenowith hails from Orange, Calif.
“Earl Watson was on my team at Nike camp. Dan Gadzuric made a recruiting trip here.”
Chenowith says he’ll play with a passion at the tourney, which benefits cancer research. His mom has cancer.
“Unfortunately, cancer has touched our lives,” Chenowith said. “She’s had five treatments with one to go.”
UCLA coach Lavin on his team’s strengths: “I like the maturity and chemistry of the team,” he said. “Hopefully our experience will offset a loss of firepower. We have nine juniors and seniors on this team. The guys genuinely like each other.”
Williams says it’s a shame Luke Axtell can’t attend the Coaches Vs. Cancer Tournament because of a badly sprained ankle.
“Luke sprained his ankle really badly last night. It ballooned up about as big as I’ve ever seen,” Williams said at a press conference at the New York Stock Exchange.
“Not only will he not play, but he’s not in New York. The doctor thought it’d be be even worse to get on an airplane and go through the pressure changes.
“He couldn’t walk and was on crutches when I left. He’d really been playing very well. He was our leading scorer through our first two exhibition games and has been playing the best I’ve ever seen him play.
“That’s not crying before the battle,” Williams added, “it’s just saying the facts. He was looking forward to this as much as anything I’d seen. Somebody told me he made the all tournament team here his freshman year at Texas. It would have been interesting to see if he could do it again.
The Jayhawks toured the New York Stock Exchange Wednesday afternoon. They went to the Knicks-Cleveland Cavaliers game Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden.
Bill and Hillary Clinton stayed at the Jayhawks’ team hotel the Grand Hyatt on election night.
Possible Starters
KANSAS (0-0)
F Kenny Gregory (6-5)
F Nick Collison (6-9)
C Eric Chenowith (7-1)
G Jeff Boschee (6-1)
G Kirk Hinrich (6-3)
UCLA (0-0)
F Matt Barnes (6-7)
F Jason Kapono (6-8)
C Dan Gadzuric (6-11)
G Billy Knight (6-5)
G Earl Watson (6-1)
Tipoff: 5:30 p.m., today, Lawrence time, Madison Square Garden, New York.
Live telecast: Cable channel 49.
Kansas Roster
0 Drew Gooden, F, 6-10, 230, Soph., Richmond, Calif. (El Cerrito HS).
1 Mario Kinsey, G, 6-2 175, Fr., Waco, Texas (La Vega HS).
3 Brett Ballard, G, 6-0, 175, Jr., Hutchinson (Hutchinson CC).
4 Nick Collison, F, 6-9 1/2, 250, Soph., Iowa Falls, Iowa (Iowa Falls HS).
10 Kirk Hinrich, G, 6-3 1/2, 180, Soph., Sioux City, Iowa (Sioux City West HS).
y-12 John Crider, G, 6-4, 190, Jr., Horton (Horton HS).
13 Jeff Boschee, G, 6-1, 185, Jr., Valley City, N.D. (Valley City HS).
15 Bryant Nash, F, 6-6 1/2, 200, Fr., Carrollton, Texas (Turner HS).
20 Kenny Gregory, G/F, 6-5, 208, Sr., Columbus, Ohio (Independence HS).
22 Jeff Carey, F/C, 6-11, 250, Jr., Camdenton, Mo. (Camdenton HS).
24 Lewis Harrison, G, 6-0, 165, Jr., Kansas City, Kan (Kansas City CC).
x-33 Luke Axtell, G/F, 6-10, 220, Sr., Austin, Texas (University of Texas).
34 Chris Zerbe, F, 6-5, 230, Jr., Andover (Hutchinson CC).
44 Eric Chenowith, 7-1, 270, Sr., Villa Park, Calif. (Villa Park HS).
50 Todd Kappelmann, 6-9, 230, Jr., Augusta (Butler County CC).
x-ankle injury, did not make trip.
y-expected to transfer, did not make trip.
UCLA Roster
1 Jason Flowers, G, 6-0, 182, Sr., Bellflower, Calif.
3 Billy Knight, G/F, 6-5, 203, Jr., Los Angeles.
4 Spencer Gloger, F, 6-7, 205, Soph., Mission Viejo, Calif.
10 Ryan Walcott, G, 6-1, 170, Fr., Phoenix.
11 Todd Ramasar, G/F, 6-4, 213, Jr., Corona, Calif.
15 Ryan Mollins, G, 6-4, 184, Fr., Redondo Beach, Calif.
21 Ryan Bailey, G, 6-3, 195, Sr., Los Angeles.
22 Rico Hines, G, 6-4, 210, Sr., Greenville, N.C.
23 Matt Barnes, F, 6-7, 230, Jr., Citrus Heights, Calif.
24 Jason Kapono, F, 6-8, 206, Soph., Lakewood, Calif.
25 Earl Watson, G, 6-1, 195, Sr., Kansas City.
34 Ray Young, G, 6-3, 210, Jr., Oakland, Calif.
43 T.J. Cummings, F, 6-8, 208, Fr., Homewood, Ill.
50 Dan Gadzuric, C, 6-11, 235, Jr., Den Haag, Holland.
52 John Hoffart, C, 6-10, 268, Soph., Davis, Calif.
54 Josiah Johnson, 6-7, 237, Fr., Los Angeles.
NOTES
No. 7- KU opens the season against a ranked team the Bruins are No. 17 for the first time since beating No. 8 Utah, 79-68, on Nov. 25, 1995 in Kemper Arena.
UCLA leads the all-time series, 8-2. The Jayhawks have won two straight against the Bruins the last time UCLA beat KU was on March 18, 1990 a 71-70 Bruin victory.
KU is 46-25 all-time versus schools from the Pac-10 and 53-21 all-time against California schools.
KU’s win over UCLA on Dec. 2, 1995 ranks as the Jayhawks’ biggest comeback. KU trailed by 19 before rallying.
Four of the 10 matchups between the schools have been in the NCAA Tournament. UCLA is undefeated in those four games.
Roy Williams is 2-1 versus UCLA.
