Kansas' Williams named AP Big 12 coach of the year

KANSAS CITY Mo. (AP) _ If they left it up to Roy Williams, there might not be such a thing as coach-of-the-year awards. <br><br>``I think that gives a coach too much credit,'' the Kansas coach

Wednesday, March 12th 2003, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

KANSAS CITY Mo. (AP) _ If they left it up to Roy Williams, there might not be such a thing as coach-of-the-year awards.

``I think that gives a coach too much credit,'' the Kansas coach said.

Nevertheless, that didn't stop a panel of 24 sportswriters from naming him Big 12 coach of the year for the second year in a row and the third time in the league's seven-year history.

While this may not have been the best team he's coached at Kansas, it may have been his best job of coaching.

This team went 14-2 in the conference to win its second straight Big 12 title. Last year's team was a perfect 16-0 in the Big 12.

But to begin with, Williams had to make up for the loss of Drew Gooden, last year's Big 12 player of the year, as well as Jeff Boschee, the Big 12's career 3-point leader.

Then the Jayhawks started the season on an awful note, going 3-3 and actually getting embarrassed a couple of times, dropping from No. 2 in the preseason poll to No. 20.

Then just as they got straightened out, sophomore forward Wayne Simien, one of the Jayhawks' top scorers and rebounders, went out with a dislocated shoulder. After missing 11 games, he mounted a brief and painful comeback before finally sitting down for good. Surgery is planned for after the season.

As a reminder of those dark days, Williams keeps a newspaper headline in his office.

``A lot of teams would go belly-up with a 3-3 start and having everybody bad-mouth them,'' Williams said. ``I still have on my desk right now, 'Biggest Disappointment Of The Year _ It's Kansas.' That was the headline of an AP story after we were 3-3.''

Now the AP says he's the coach of the year in the Big 12.

``I'm very, very flattered,'' Williams said. ``It was a great year for our league. My team being able to handle the adversity and the slow start has given me more credit than I deserve.''

Williams, whose teams won the first two Big 12 titles and the last two, gathered 14 votes from the panel of writers who regularly cover the Big 12. Four votes went to Oklahoma's Kelvin Sampson, three to Colorado's Ricardco Patton, two to Eddie Sutton of Oklahoma State and one to Texas' Rick Barnes.

``Several coaches in the league could have gotten this award and every coach in this league is an outstanding coach,'' Williams said.

The voting was closer for the AP's Big 12 player of the year. Hollis Price, Oklahoma's classy 6-foot-1 senior guard, edged out Kansas senior Nick Collison.

Price was second in the league at 19.4 points per game, but his numbers told just part of the story. His toughness and leadership drove the Sooners, who finished third in the Big 12 behind Kansas and Texas.

Price received 11 votes, while Collison had eight and Texas point guard T.J. Ford four.

The freshman of the year was Antoine Wright of Texas A&M, and Oklahoma State's Tony Allen was chosen newcomer of the year.

Price scored in double figures in every game but one. He wound up shooting 46.7 percent from the field, 45 percent from 3-point range and 93 percent from the foul line. The latter two led the Big 12.

``He had a great sophomore year for a sophomore, then he had a better junior year,'' said Oklahoma coach Kelvin Sampson. ``He took a team to the Final Four, carried us in a lot of games. Then he had a better senior year.

``How many players get better every year, but have significant years? He had a significant sophomore and junior year.

``Hollis is just one of those kids that doesn't come along very often,'' Sampson said. ``Everything you read or hear about him, it's true, and it may not be giving him justice.''

Wright was the unanimous pick as freshman of the year after averaging 14.6 points and 6.7 rebounds.

Allen's play was important as Oklahoma State finished fourth in the conference at 10-6. A junior-college transfer, Allen struggled at times during conference play, but still averaged 14.7 points per game.

Allen received 13 votes, Ricky Clemons of Missouri had nine and Nate Johnson of Nebraska one.