KU’s Hawkins dealt a blow

By Gary Bedore     Jan 23, 2005

? Some hard hits will be administered during today’s Eagles-Falcons NFC title game here in the City of Brotherly Love.

Perhaps none, however, will be rougher than the whack Kansas University basketball player Jeff Hawkins took to the gut during the first half of Villanova’s 83-62 haymaker over the Jayhawks on Saturday at Wachovia Center.

“I got punched in the stomach. I’ve never been punched before. He knocked the wind out of me,” Hawkins, KU’s junior guard, said of an incident in the first half in which the Wildcats’ Kyle Lowry was ejected for drilling Hawkins in the midsection. Lowry also will have to sit out Wednesday’s game against Notre Dame at the Wachovia Center.

“The play before, he tried to trip me,” Hawkins explained. “I didn’t say anything. Then we came down, and he bumped shoulders with me.

“I don’t know if he thought I did it intentionally. That’s when he hit me in the stomach.”

Hawkins, who did not respond to the punch, wasn’t ejected. He made one of two intentional-foul free throws following the blow.

The 5-foot-11 junior from Kansas City, Kan., who had not played more than a minute in eight straight games, was called upon with 9:28 left in the first half Saturday after Russell Robinson, Alex Galindo and Michael Lee were given early hooks for unproductive play.

Hawkins responded with a point in six minutes the first half. He finished with four points in 17 minutes, with an assist and steal and two turnovers.

Self went with Hawkins over Robinson, who had two turnovers in one minute the first half.

“I think Russell will be a good player, but Jeff has been better in practice,” Self said. “I gave Russell a chance to play first. When things didn’t go real well, I thought Jeff deserved a chance to play.”

Hawkins says he has tried to stay prepared in the event he might be called upon.

“After the suspension (in preseason for unspecified reasons), I wasn’t mad at coach or my teammates. I just went out and had fun every day at practice, worked hard every day at practice,” Hawkins said. “Coach (Kurtis) Townsend told me to stay ready. It’s what I did.”

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