Kansas University sophomore Drew Gooden has been cleared to play in Wednesday night’s game at Kansas State.
The big question is: How effective will the 6-foot-10 forward be in his first outing since a Feb. 5 loss to Iowa State?
“It’s really hard to say,” KU basketball coach Roy Williams said Monday after learning a bone fracture in Gooden’s right wrist has healed enough to allow Gooden to return.
“With a lot of youngsters, I’ve always felt like it’s going to take a week to 10 days to get their game face back on, get their game legs back in shape and get used to the pushing and shoving.
“I’ve seen situations where guys have not come back that quickly, and I can also remember three years ago and Raef LaFrentz was out with a broken hand I think seven or eight games. He could have played four or five days earlier, but we held him out one more game and he had 31 in his first game back. So Raef’s first actual game back was sensational.”
LaFrentz scored 31 points and grabbed 15 rebounds after missing nine games during the 1997-98 season.
No doubt, Williams is thrilled to have Gooden back. Gooden, a Richmond, Calif., native, is 10th-ranked KU’s second leading scorer (15.6 ppg) and leading rebounder (8.4 rpg).
“He is as anxious as any player I’ve ever seen to get back in action. We will watch his wrist closely, and if any negative developments occur, then we’ll have to stop his play again,” Williams said, noting the player looked good at practice Monday.
“Drew practiced about half of practice and did some nice things,” Williams said. “We’ll be careful with Drew. It’s hard for him to jump right in and play 35 minutes a game after sitting three weeks. I don’t think there will be any letdown with Drew back. I know the guys were glad to have him back at practice today.”
The Jayhawks won three games and lost two without Gooden.
“The first two or three games without Drew, I thought we were really ugly and we lost most of those games,” Williams said. “Jeff Carey has stepped up the last couple of games. Nick Collison has become more of a scorer. Eric (Chenowith) has still struggled a little bit, but if I had to say one positive, I would say Jeff Carey has realized that he can do a little bit more.”
Carey scored seven points and grabbed five rebounds in Sunday’s 78-74 victory at Nebraska. He also was KU’s defensive player of the game. He had seven points and nine boards in a victory over Colorado, logging 18 and 23 minutes respectively the last two games.
“It’s great to get Drew back,” Carey said. “His rebounding and scoring gives us a big lift every game.”
“Drew being back will help us a lot. He’s a great player,” sophomore forward Nick Collison said. “He’s having a great year and does so many great things for us.”
KU coach Roy Williams hopes several Jayhawks receive serious consideration for all-league honors. It appears Gooden, Collison, Gregory and Kirk Hinrich all have shots at first- or second-team all-league honors.
“We have some players I definitely think should be considered,” Williams said. “I think Kirk Hinrich has had a sensational year. He is leading our team in assists (7.2 apg) and three-point field goal percentage (.529).
“He has a great assist-to-error ratio (187 assists, 88 turnovers) and is very good defensively and has really done some great things this year and I think he should be considered for the team. Kenny Gregory has scored in double figures for us in every game and is our leading scorer (16.3 ppg).
“Drew Gooden and Nick Collison, our two guys up front, I think, have done some big-time things. Drew has missed five games and I’m sure that will hurt him. I hope not, but I expect that it will.
“Those two guys up front have rebounded the ball for us. Drew Gooden is leading the league in rebounding and Nick Collison is shooting 60 percent (.602). So we have some guys that I think should be considered and I think they pick two or three teams, so hopefully we’ll have somebody make some of the teams.”
Kenny Gregory, who is a 40.8 percent free thrower, hit one of six charities versus Nebraska. A caller on Williams’ Hawk Talk radio show Monday wanted to know if Gregory might try shooting a jump shot at the foul line to improve his percentage.
“I met him today a couple hours before practice. He shot extra free throws before and after,” Williams said. “I told him about Hal Grier. He used to shoot a jump shot on his free throws and Hal was sensational. I talked about it with Kenny and said maybe he should do a crossover dribble then shoot the free throw.
“Kenny does have a mechanical error he’s tried to fight four years. The biggest thing is the pressure he feels and the stress. He knows there are 16,300 in the stands.”
Of Gregory’s style: “He does take it way behind his head. It’s choppy,” Williams said. “He’ll start it in front of him. He takes it behind his head, doesn’t have good rhythm with his legs.”
KU senior Luke Axtell did not practice on Monday because of his bad back. He played nine minutes in Sunday’s victory over Nebraska, but had the back tighten late in the game and it felt no better Monday.
