Kansas basketball coach Roy Williams doesn’t think the NBA is in Drew Gooden’s immediate future.
“I think Drew will be back. I expect and feel he’ll come back,” Williams said Wednesday at his final press conference of the season.
“Am I 100 percent sure of that? No, I am not. I am gathering some information for him (from NBA officials). There will be a point we’ll have enough information to make a decision.”
Williams has spoken with the 6-foot-10 sophomore forward a couple of times since last Friday’s Sweet 16 loss to Illinois in San Antonio.
“We’ve talked about several things, hundreds of things,” Williams said, unwilling to discuss specifics.
“I don’t like to deal in rumors. The more you say about it, it just makes it worse. Again, I expect him to come back. I’m planning on him coming back. I think the worst thing happens is every time he turns around somebody asks him something about it. It just makes it a harassment kind of thing, really.”
Gooden who averaged 15.8 points and 8.4 boards has until May 13 to apply for the draft. Just one of Williams’ players Paul Pierce left KU before his eligibility expired. Williams, however, has explored the NBA option for several of his former players.
“With Jacque (Vaughn), Raef (LaFrentz) and Paul I did the same kind of thing,” Williams said. “Raef said he was staying. Jacque said he was staying. Paul said he was going.”
Gooden might have a press conference when he reaches his final decision.
“We’ll either make a statement or have a press conference. The whole thing depends on the comfort level of Drew,” Williams said. “If he’s sick of you guys (media) or classmates or buddies asking him (he might just have a statement).”
Does KU’s coach think Gooden is ready for the NBA?
“That’s something else I shared with him. I think it’s best to keep between him and me,” Williams said. “I tell kids all the time, ‘When we close the door and start talking, it stays between the two of us.’ I think it’s Drew’s business.”
Simien’s injury
KU signee Wayne Simien’s injured right shoulder will be examined by doctors on Friday.
The 6-foot-8 Leavenworth High senior dislocated his shoulder for the second time this season on Monday at a McDonald’s All-America game practice. He has said he will likely need surgery to correct a recurring problem.
“This evidently showed rest and rehab was not going to cure it,” Williams said of a shoulder which first popped out of place with three weeks left in the regular season. “I know some people in the past had this problem, surgery has corrected it and they’ve done well. I fully expect he’ll be fine and ready to go by the time the season starts.”
Recruiting
Williams has one scholarship available in recruiting. He’s said he would like to sign a big man if possible.
“I don’t know if I’d say that’s more than a 50-50 chance. I’d say it’s less than a 50-50 chance,” he said of corralling a player in the spring period.
“There’s nobody out there. This year is no different from any year over 80 percent of the top 100 players signed in the fall. Some of the kids who didn’t have made up their minds now, too,” Williams added.
“You just can’t go get somebody … because they are not out there. Everybody has this misconception … last year we lost DeShawn Stevenson and Marlon London and somebody said, ‘Why didn’t you go and get somebody?’ You can get any body, but that body could be you or me. That’s not gonna help our team.”
Next year’s team
The Jayhawks are bringing in guards Keith Langford, Aaron Miles, Mike Lee and Jeff Hawkins, plus forward Simien.
Because of a plethora of guards, the Jayhawks may pressure more next year and go with a true three-guard lineup, Williams said.
“One way it might change is we’ll have better ballhandlers. We’ll probably not be as good on the backboards,” he said. “We should be able to pick people up farther out on the court. Perimeter wise we may be stronger on the defensive end and could be stronger shooting the ball from the outside.
“I think there’s still a hole … we need somebody in the 6-4 to 6-7 range to guard somebody. Since Paul left we haven’t really had anybody in that size that could take somebody and stop them.”
Williams said he’s hoping Bryant Nash, Langford or even Boschee might be that defensive stopper, though Boschee is limited at 6-foot-1.
Final Four
Williams, who is about to begin a two-year term as president of the NABC, isn’t thrilled about a trip to Minneapolis for this weekend’s Final Four.
“Twenty three meetings,” Williams said. “The Final Four is a lot of fun to go to when your team goes with you. If your team is not with you, it is not much fun.”
Awards ceremony
KU’s Awards Ceremony formerly the basketball banquet will start at 7 p.m. Tuesday April 10 at Allen Fieldhouse. There is open seating. Doors will open at 6 p.m.
Admission is $5. Tickets are available at kustore.com or from the Williams Fund, 1651 Naismith Drive, Lawrence, Ks., 66045.
New format includes playing of the season highlight video, senior speeches and presentation of team awards. KU officials said dinner has been eliminated in an effort to make the evening more affordable for families. Price used to be $20 for the awards dinner. Reservation deadline is April 5.
Pro prospects
Williams thinks seniors Kenny Gregory and Eric Chenowith are capable of playing at the next level. Key for them will be their performance at an NBA Draft camp in May in Phoenix.
“Guys with pro coaching experience coach them for three days of practice,” Williams said. “They put them in different sets to see how they handle screen and roll offense, defensively the way they adapt to the pro game and the more physical game inside.”
