Kansas center Eric Chenowith considered wearing a hockey mask during today’s game against Texas A&M.
Not to scare the Aggies … and not to protect his broken nose.
“I was thinking of doing it in honor of Bill Laimbeer. He is one of my three favorite big men of all time Laimbeer, Bill Walton and Kevin McHale,” Chenowith said.
Laimbeer, who was known as an NBA tough guy, wore a mask at various junctures with the Detroit Pistons.
“It’s a tiny chip in a bone. It’s a little sore. My eyes are a little swollen. It’s no big deal,” Chenowith said of his broken nose, sustained late in Wednesday’s win over Nebraska.
Also in the “no big deal” category, he says, is KU’s starting lineup.
Since the Southwest Missouri State game, Kansas coach Roy Williams has started two of the Jayhawks’ three big men Chenowith, Nick Collison and Drew Gooden with each post player coming off the bench in one of every three games.
If all goes according to recent form, it’s Gooden’s turn to sit at the start today and Collison’s turn to sit Monday at Colorado.
“I don’t know whose turn it is,” said Chenowith, who came off the bench Wednesday against Nebraska. “One day coach told us he was going to rotate the three big guys. It (conversation) took about five seconds. It’s a good situation for coach and a tough situation to be in, too. It’s tough picking who starts. I’d love to start, but coach has been in a lot more games than I have. He has a lot more knowledge than I have. He knows what he’s doing.”
Killer instinct
Chenowith said the Jayhawks will spend no time feeling sorry for Texas A&M (6-10, 0-4), a team that has lost three starters to injury this season.
“No, because we lost Kenny (Gregory, stress fracture foot) for a while this year, too,” Chenowith said. “This is going to sound weird, but I think our team is starting to develop some kind of killer instinct. We’re not going to feel sorry for any team.”
Why “weird?”
“Cause I can’t remember since my freshman year a (KU) team having that mentality,” Chenowith said.
“I’ve lost 20 games the last two years. I hate the feeling of losing. Once we get a lead, we continue to play aggressively this year.”
Gooden good in classroom
All of KU’s players are academically eligible second semester.
“Four guys had over a 3.0. Drew (Gooden) had the highest grade point on our team,” Williams said, not going into any more detail because of the Buckley Amendment.
It’s a Wonderful Life
A reporter asked Chenowith, “How’s life?” on Friday:
“How’s life? My battery went dead in my car last week. That was pretty devastating. I had to get a new battery. My sister’s car went kaput, too,” he grinned.
