Hinrich frustrated

By Gary Bedore     Mar 28, 2003
    •

Anaheim, Calif. ? Kirk Hinrich said Duke’s sticky defense took him out of his game Thursday night.

“I felt I couldn’t even touch the ball,” Hinrich, Kansas University’s senior guard, said after scoring two points off 1-of-9 shooting in KU’s 69-65 victory over Duke in the semifinals of the West Regional at Arrowhead Pond. “I’m used to having the ball in my hands. They did a good job, but I was getting frustrated. I wasn’t getting touches. When I was getting touches, I’d charge or turn it over. I wasn’t getting in rhythm. That happens when you don’t get touches.”

He took just three shots in the first half and didn’t score before halftime.

Hinrich said he was not bothered by a right wrist injury he suffered with 13:48 left in the first half. He landed on the wrist after running into Duke’s Dahntay Jones, who took a charge.

“It’s fine, a little banged up,” Hinrich said. “I went down the lane and Jones took the charge. I stuck my hand out to catch myself. I’ll be fine. It’s no big deal.”

He was to be examined by doctors after postgame interviews.

Hinrich played masterful defense on J.J. Redick, who missed 10 of 11 three-pointers and scored five points.

“A guy who can shoot like that, you try to limit his touches,” Hinrich said.

“It’s the fifth time in my career that has happened,” KU coach Roy Williams said of a player going all the way. “He gave me the tired signal once, right before a TV timeout in the first half. If he had given me the tired signal late, I would have had to adjust my glasses. I told them, ‘We could frickin’ rest in May.'”

  • Langford OK: Keith Langford rolled an ankle during the game, but he said he would be OK for Saturday’s 6:05 p.m. Elite Eight battle against Arizona.
  • Stats, facts: Collison moved into third place on KU’s all-time rebounding chart, ahead of Bill Bridges, who attended the game. Collison’s 33 points were the third-most by a KU player in the Williams era. Terry Brown had 42 against North Carolina State in 1991, and Paul Pierce had 34 against Vanderbilt in 1997. It was the most points by a Jayhawk in the NCAA Tournament in the Williams era. … KU hit one three-pointer and has made at least one trey in 110 straight games. KU hit 1-of-12 to Duke’s 10-of-26.
  • Simien surgery on tap today: Wayne Simien, who dislocated his right shoulder in a game against UMKC Jan. 4, will have right shoulder surgery this morning at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York.

The surgery will be performed by Dr. Russell Warren, team doctor of the New York Giants. The surgery is designed to tighten tissue surrounding the 6-foot-9, 255-pounder Leavenworth sophomore’s damaged shoulder.

There will be a four- to six-month rehab from the surgery.

“The whole process appears to be to tighten it up and make it more difficult to dislocate,” Williams said.

“I’m not pumped up or excited, I just want to get it done, try and get it fixed and be ready to go next season,” Simien said recently.

  • Awards ceremony: KU’s basketball recognition ceremony will be held April 17 at the Lied Center.
PREV POST

KU defeats Duke, 69-65
NEXT POST

14656Hinrich frustrated