Roy Williams was mighty happy his Kansas University men’s basketball team beat rival Missouri on Sunday.
He was mighty sad after learning the KU men’s swimming and men’s tennis teams had to be eliminated by the university that same day in cost-cutting moves.
“I was really, really sad, disappointed, whatever way you want to describe it about having to eliminate the two sports,” Williams said Monday.
“I think we are in a very difficult time in college athletics. The costs are going up so much faster than we can produce revenue. I just cannot imagine how difficult it was for (athletics director) Bob Frederick to go in and tell those coaches and those players.
“I think it’s a sad, sad day and yet it’s happening all around the country sports are being cut.”
Does Williams have a solution to KU’s money problems?
“I think the biggest thing people can do … there’s one big, huge source of revenue that we haven’t tapped yet,” he said of KU football. “If we can start filling up Memorial Stadium, it makes everything else a heck of a lot easier. I think it’s the biggest thing we can do and hopefully people will do that for us. We want people to have their tails in the seats anyway to support our football team.”
Rush’s claims wrong
MU’s Kareem Rush said KU’s Kirk Hinrich tugged at the protective splint on his left thumb during Sunday’s game.
Hinrich after the game said that assertion was ridiculous.
Williams agreed with his player.
“I was disappointed by the comments, too,” Williams said on his weekly Hawk Talk radio show. “I don’t think there’s any basis for that statement. I watched it on tape. There was a shot being taken and two kids sort of trying to get into position for offensive rebounds.
“There was no grab. It was two kids. Both of them had their hands up, trying to sort of hand to hand combat, trying to fight to get inside position. There was a collision of two hands but not anything intentional on Kirk’s part. Sometimes things are said right after the battle you wish later you hadn’t and I think that’s what it would be with Kareem.”
Gooden not leaving
Williams says he doesn’t think Drew Gooden will leave KU for the NBA anytime soon.
One Web site recently had Gooden as a top-10 pick. Williams said he checked out that web report and no NBA officials had heard of it.
“I am not concerned about Drew leaving,” Williams said. “Drew loves it here. He loves playing here and realizes he’ll get better and better. He loves college life and loves what’s going on here.
“The worst mistake is everybody starts talking about it. I was a little disappointed a week or so ago we printed in the paper some Web site that said what draft pick he could be. They had no input whatsoever from any, I repeat, any NBA people. You give it more credit when you put it in the paper. It could be two guys from ‘One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.’ It could be two guys locked up. It could be two guys that have 27 wives.
“I don’t think it has any credence whatsoever. To put it in the newspaper ticks me off to give credence to some idiots who put something like that out there.”
Gooden’s wrist
Williams said Gooden’s tiny wrist fracture is not completely healed.
“I don’t think it is 100 percent,” KU’s coach said. “It’s to the point doctors felt there was no need to keep holding him out. If he were to have the exact, same fall, he could have other problems with it.
“I made Drew talk to his mother and father, make sure they were OK with it (him returning last week against Kansas State). He feels it’s so strong he has no loss of range of motion.”
Gooden was adamant about returning.
“He told me, ‘Coach, Kenny Gregory slipped and fell walking off the curb going to the fieldhouse.’ You can get hurt just walking to class.
“Drew was funny. He said, ‘Coach if the only way I can hurt my wrist to fall the exact same way on the exact same bone with the exact same force, it’s just God’s way of telling me I’m going to be a doctor.’ That’s his way of looking at it.”
Williams said Gooden’s wrist could be X-rayed again next week.
Signee Simien OK
KU signee Wayne Simien of Leavenworth High should be able to play in the McDonald’s All-America game later this month, KU’s coach said. Simien played a little over a minute in Leavenworth’s sub-state loss to Free State last Thursday.
He recently suffered a separated shoulder.
“Wayne needed another week. With another week of rehab, I think he’d have been able to play,” Williams said. “He played a minute, 29 and could not go. I saw him at the game yesterday. He said it felt so much better yesterday than Thursday.”
Williams to be honored
The Blue Valley Educational Foundation named Williams its Good Neighbor award winner. He will receive the award at 6 p.m. April 4 at Johnson County CC.
The Foundation bestows the award on an individual who is “revered by all Americans for living his life according to the very virtues that Blue Valley students are taught every day.”
