OKLAHOMA CITY ? Keith Wooden couldn’t have asked for a better spring break.
Thursday night at Ford Center, the Free State High senior watched the basketball team he’s going to play for next year beat Memphis, then watched the team he grew up with defeat Utah State.
Saturday night, Arizona State and Kansas University will be on the court at the same time when the 10th-seeded Sun Devils meet second-seeded Kansas in the second round of the NCAA West Regional.
Wooden grew up in Lawrence, but his loyalties won’t be divided.
“I’m an Arizona State fan,” said Wooden, who has signed a letter-of-intent to play for ASU. “I’ll be wearing my yellow and maroon.”
Wooden said he wished he already was wearing a yellow and maroon uniform.
“It’s weird, but it’s exciting,” he said after ASU upended seventh-seeded Memphis, 84-71. “Arizona State gets a chance to play KU. I wish I could be out there. It’s exciting to see them have that opportunity.”
The city’s all-time leading prep scorer will have to wait until next year.
“They lose six seniors,” said Wooden, who sat in the ASU section with Free State teammate Brady Morningstar, the son of former Jayhawk Roger Morningstar. “They’ve told me the opportunity is there, I just have to go out there and prove myself.”