Loyalty being what it is for the Kansas men’s basketball program, a guy would have to become a Ted Bundy or Charlie Manson to get “divorced” from the family.
As long as Roy Williams is around, anyone who ever has donned Jayhawk silks, barring serial-rapist or kiddie porn convictions, will be welcome and embraced. That’s how it should be.
But you can’t blame frustrated KU faithful for thinking there occasionally should be a brief period of annulment (crafty lawyers find all kinds of ways to implement that tool, such as the versatile “unmet expectations” dodge).
That may be the category to which some temporarily might assign 2001 seniors Luke Axtell, Eric Chenowith and Kenny Gregory. Promises, promises, promises never quite totally fulfilled.
The heralded 6-10 Luke had numerous ailments in his two years of availability. He never could measure up to expectations of providing KU with the long-range gunnery so vital in today’s game. No miracle workers of faith healers could overcome Axtell’s frustrations; we hope loads of good things begin to happen for him.
Neither Axtell nor the 7-1, 270-pound Chenowith played the past two seasons anywhere near what they hinted at Texas (Luke as a freshman) and Kansas (Eric as a sophomore). Chenowith compounded criticism by talking out of turn too often and apparently irking teammates with his mysterious shortcomings. Chenowith worked hard four years, did a lot of good things, but bottom-line, he flunked the course in team chemistry. They never got the California out of the boy.
A veteran that big consistently should have been a lot more forceful and productive. Can’t help thinking the team psyche will be better with him off the roster. Take the recent Illinois game when Eric moved into the paint and his defender fell down behind him. Cheno got an apparent assist and all he had to do was spin around and, plop! His hesitation, apparently due to intimidation by the Illini Muscle Corps, allowed a defender to arrive and foul him. Then darned if he didn’t miss both vital free throws.
No points, not even a shot, in an NCAA third-round game. Then there was the talking later about “leaving it all out on the court” while poor Kirk Hinrich was sitting, to the point of tears, telling how he’d let the team down. Maybe for a while, a little annulment is in order.
The 6-5 Gregory made innumerable exciting contributions to the KU program in four years. Always a fine athlete, he continue to show marginal basketball skills in some categories. Good as he is and hard as he tries, acrobatic Kenny isn’t big enough to play inside and isn’t good enough with the ball (and shoots free throws badly) to play much in the NBA.
Chenowith because of his size and periodic shooting touch will be taken by some pro team. He might some day develop as a role player like former Jayhawk Greg Ostertag with Utah. If Chenowith can get a six-year, $39 million deal like Ostertag, more power to him.
But no matter how charming they are, Axtell, Chenowith and Gregory are considered for one reason or another as having not quite met expectations.
Next season, the key seniors will be Jeff Carey and Jeff Boschee. For KU to go beyond its 2-1 NCAA record this season, the personnel situation being what it was, Boschee and Chenowith needed to perform the best they ever had. Neither came close in that Illinois mugging and there was no way Gregory and the sophomore Triplets Terrific could carry the Jayhawks to victory against an excellent, Chicago gangland-style opponent.
It’s up to Boschee and Carey as seniors to give the 2001-02 Jayhawks the upperclassman thrust KU lacked this year. Could be that if Boschee doesn’t quicken his contributions in a number of categories he might be a periodic reserve while three newcomers Aaron Miles, Michael Lee and Keith Langford see a lot of guard action. If Wayne Simien’s shoulder problem gets solved, he can give 6-10 Drew Gooden (flat-out not ready for the NBA), 6-9 Nick Collison and the 6-11 Carey vital support.
If Roy Williams has another scholarship to give, he should turn heaven and earth to find a big, muscular frontliner with attitude, like Illinois’ Lucas Johnson or ex-Purdue thundermug Brian Cardinal, to push the other four control towers.
The knee of newcomer Keith Langford reportedly will be sound. Shoulder troubles are entirely different. If Simien needs extensive surgery, it could be September, at least, before he can test it much providing the operation is a whopping success.
A 2001-2002 season that once was so promising now has clouds hanging over it. Maybe the luck will change. Last summer, we Jayhawk fans were reveling in the ’01 prospects, especially after Roy decided to stay. You can bet the proud Williams and Co. will bust their guts to get back to Big 12 championships, regular-season and tournament, and better than another 2-1 in the NCAA morass.
That won’t be easy with Missouri, Texas and perhaps even Baylor planning terrorist attacks. Boschee and Carey got a graphic lesson in what seniors ought to do for a team this season and should be aching to prove they can do better in their final go-around.
As for Roy and the North Carolina job he turned down and ex-aide Matt Doherty inherited, Doherty didn’t have the finish UNC fans expected, either. But the way it ended, I’m sure Roy Williams was happier being at KU with the kids whose trust he honored than with the Tar Heel players Doherty had to work with.
