Kansas has been plagued by foul problems at times this men’s basketball season.
Big men Nick Collison, Eric Chenowith and Drew Gooden all have had minutes reduced because of excessive whistles. Also, aggressive point guard Kirk Hinrich has fouled out of a pair of games and has had four fouls in three others.
As a team, the Jayhawks have picked up 298 fouls, compared to opponents’ 325.
“Yes, it’s been a concern, but foul trouble is sometimes a good thing, too,” KU coach Roy Williams said. “Then I don’t have to worry about who to play. If you are in foul trouble, come sit down and let somebody else have those minutes.
“Then they don’t have to say, ‘Coach you are not playing me.’ I can say, ‘You’ll play a lot if you stay out of foul trouble.”‘
Senior center Chenowith played just 15 minutes because of foul woes in Wednesday’s 84-62 victory over Nebraska.
“I’m happy we won. I’m disappointed I got in foul trouble,” said Chenowith, who scored two points with three rebounds.
Forward Drew Gooden scored 17 points in 25 minutes against Nebraska after scoring just six points in 20 foul-plagued minutes last Saturday at Oklahoma.
“It was redemption today,” Gooden said Wednesday. “I had to redeem myself for the last game. This whole game for me was getting a win against Nebraska, knowing I’d have a battle with Steffon Bradford and Kimani Ffriend and redeem myself for the OU game.”
KU’s starting front line of Gooden, Nick Collison (16 points, six blocks) and Kenny Gregory (20 points, nine rebounds) combined for 53 points and 20 boards. NU inside players Bradford and Ffriend combined for 27 points and 17 rebounds.
“Bradford is the strongest guy I’ve played against,” Gregory said. “You can’t move him when you line up for free throws.”
X-rays of Eric Chenowith’s nose revealed a small chip fracture in the nose, meaning technically it is broken. He will not wear a mask, miss any practice or game time because of the injury. He will simply let it heal with time.
NU’s Justin Boeker clipped Chenowith in the nose while jostling for a rebound late in the game.
The Jayhawks (14-1, 3-0) will meet Texas A&M (6-10, 0-4) at 3:05 p.m. Saturday at Allen Fieldhouse.
“Yeah it is (nice to be home),” junior guard Jeff Boschee said after the NU game, KU’s first home game in 32 days. “It’s nice to see the crowd again and get back into the swing of things at home. It was kind of getting old playing on the road every night.”
“Great crowd. It’s so much easier than on the road. They give you that extra boost,” Collison said of KU’s fans.
Confused at DePaul’s 8-8 record, 1-4 in Conference USA play, Blue Demon coach Pat Kennedy recently conferred with transfer Marlon London.
“I asked Marlon London, our transfer from Kansas, ‘Is Kansas better prepared than we are? Does Kansas practice harder than we do?’
“He said no. He said we practice harder than Kansas. At least I have the input of somebody who hasn’t been in our program. This team is as well prepared as I’ve ever seen any team,” Kennedy said.
London, who transferred to DePaul after last season, is sitting out this season in accordance with NCAA transfer rules.
Kansas sits atop the conference standings with a 3-0 league mark which includes victories at Texas Tech and at Oklahoma. Of the 23 Big 12 league games this season the road team has won seven times – Kansas (2), Baylor (1), Kansas State (1), Missouri (1), Oklahoma State (1) and Texas (1).