Kenny Gregory’s right foot is bothering him again.
“He still has some pain,” Kansas basketball coach Roy Williams said Tuesday, referring to KU’s 6-foot-5 senior shooting guard who missed three games in early December because of a stress fracture in the foot.
Gregory has played effectively since returning, scoring 17 points versus Ohio State and Texas Tech and 13 versus Southwest Missouri State.
“We are still concerned about Kenny’s foot for sure. We are curtailing his practice time. Even (Tuesday) we curtailed him some,” Williams noted.
Williams said Gregory, who grabbed six rebounds while playing 28 minutes in Saturday’s 94-82 victory at Texas Tech, is “about 75 to 80 percent. I don’t think he’s any more than that.”
One of the toughest players on the team, Gregory definitely does not whine about playing in pain.
“Don’t ask me about my foot any more,” Gregory said recently with a hint of irritation. “I’ll tell you if it’s bothering me.”
KU point guard Kirk Hinrich says Gregory’s body has taken a few shots at practice.
“I know he has been getting banged up a little bit, maybe that’s just because he’s going up against B. Nash. B. Nash is a danger zone out there,” Hinrich said with a laugh.
He was referring to 6-6 freshman Bryant Nash, who guards Gregory at practice. What’s up with Nash’s play at practice?
“He hasn’t learned how to control his body. He is flying all over the place out there. I try to stay clear of him,” Hinrich said with a laugh.
Last year, Ashante Johnson leveled current sophs Hinrich, Nick Collison and Drew Gooden at different times at practice.
“B. Nash is getting close. By the time he is out of here he might have Ashante beat,” Hinrich said. “B. Nash is just aggressive. Just bad luck I guess.”
KU coach Williams on junior guard John Crider, who is expected to transfer to Washburn for the start of second semester.
“If there is an announcement I can only tell you we’ll make one,” Williams said at Tuesday’s weekly press conference.
Junior walk-on Lewis Harrison practiced Tuesday despite a cartilage problem in his left shoulder. “He will probably have some pain or have to stop playing for a while,” Williams said.
Williams on junior guard Jeff Boschee who has hit eight of his last 31 threes. “The fact his shot is going in is the only negative I have about Jeff Boschee,” Williams said, lauding Boschee’s defense and assist to error ratio. He has 54 assists, 18 turnovers. “There are no technical problems. He made just about every shot today in practice.”
NCAA Div. II schools in the future will accept NBA players who have not played more than three years in the league. KU coach Williams is against Div. I schools adopting the same rule.
“I think it’s a bad rule, that whole amateurism idea I think is bad for Div. I, particularly men’s basketball and football,” Williams said.
One could easily envision scenarios in which college schools will aggressively recruit fringe NBA players who have had a taste of the good life and some NBA money.
“What might be good for tennis or golf or soccer doesn’t necessarily mean it’s good for men’s basketball,” Williams said.
As chair of the NCAA men’s basketball rules committee, Williams is a major proponent of this year’s emphasis on cleaning up rough play inside. Some coaches have been critical, including Oklahoma’s Kelvin Sampson who said officials “now want you to play like wooden soldiers.”
Williams said he did not mind Sampson’s comment. The two are very good friends and talk a lot.
He has been miffed at some other shots, however.
“I’ve been a little disappointed in some of them,” Williams said, not naming names of those who complain but do little to help improve the game. “I think as coaches we have to take a little more interest in showing up for rules committee meetings, returning surveys.”
More than two-thirds of coaches who returned a survey last year said they wanted basketball to have less physical play. “If you are not willing to be part of the solution, then don’t talk. I’ve said that to several people,” Williams said.
“I know I’ve spent a heck of a lot of time trying to find out what coaches want to improve the game of basketball. If you don’t have enough interest to come to rules committee meetings and discussion at the Final Four, don’t talk to this boy cause I have no ear for you whatsoever. If you have interest enough, get your butt there, show up and talk to us (11-person committee). Don’t start complaining after the fact.”
Williams said coaching legend John Wooden is in favor of cleaning up rough play. Also, Williams received a letter from former Wisconsin coach Dick Bennett, saying he agreed with Williams’ stance. Bennett’s Wisconsin teams were very physical.
“If you find somewhere there is 100 percent agreement on something let me know,” Williams said. “If you get every coach and talk to them about what we are trying to do they are in agreement. If you talk to a coach this time of year after a specific game he’s just played, his statements may be different.”
KU point guard Hinrich, who is emerging as one of the most efficient points in the country, admitted Tuesday he worried last summer about the possibility of Williams bolting to North Carolina. Hinrich de-committed to Iowa State two years ago after Tim Floyd left for the NBA’s Chicago Bulls.
“I was thinking, ‘Who would be the coach?”‘ Hinrich said. “I didn’t want to lose coach but was thinking maybe coach Doherty (Matt, former KU assistant)? I figured, ‘OK he’d be OK.’
“I didn’t want to start all over with a new coach, a new terminology and new system. I just got through with that and didn’t want to go through it again. I was praying for the best, praying he’d stay and he did.”
