KU’s Landen Lucas hits links when it’s time to get away from basketball

Landen Lucas spent some time talking about his second-favorite sport — golf — during Tuesday’s Big 12 basketball media day proceedings at the Sprint Center.

“I’ve played it since I was younger, as a kid,” said Lucas, Kansas’ 23-year-old, fifth-year senior power forward from Portland, Ore., who, at 6-feet-10, 240 pounds is known for his booming drives. “I think I got into it because I liked the change of pace. Basketball is such a different feel and sport. There’s very low injury risk (in golf). I played it and enjoyed it.”

Lucas was able to play several rounds in the Lawrence area this past summer.

“The courses around here are great. They’ve got some well-kept courses year-round,” Lucas said. “The best I’ve ever done was I was under 80 one time — a 79. That was probably my best, which I was really happy about. It doesn’t happen all the time. I’m usually just happy to shoot under 100. That was a very good day. Everything was going right that day.”

Lucas was asked to identify the best course he’s played.

“I got a chance when I was in California a couple years ago to play at Trump National. It’s just north of L.A.,” Lucas said of the course in Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif., which is owned by Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump.

A seasoned interviewee, Lucas wasn’t about to touch the issue of politics with the election so near.

“I just went there to golf. At the time, he wasn’t even close to running. It was a couple years ago,” Lucas said, smiling. “It’s really a nice course. That’s all I was able to get out of that.”

Lucas the leader

Lucas has been tutoring freshmen big men Mitch Lightfoot and Udoka Azubuike during practice sessions.

“I’ve had so many people help me out since I’ve been here. Between Jeff (Withey), Tarik (Black), Jo Jo (Embiid) and so many other people, the least I can do is pass that along,” Lucas said.

He has been focusing on helping Azubuike, while sophomore forward Carlton Bragg has been assisting Lightfoot.

“It’s not all nice things,” Lucas said. “I try to make sure he (Azubuike) is on the right path. I get on him sometimes. He’s such a good listener. That’s definitely a good thing. It’s nothing planned. Because of the way Carlton plays and the way Mitch does, it’s more helpful when Carlton helps Mitch out. Because of the way I play and the size of Udoka (7-feet, 280), I try to help him out. Carlton and I try to bring ’em along the best we can.”

Lucas said upperclassmen are expected to help younger players at KU.

“That’s why you come to a place like Kansas,” Lucas said.

Self doesn’t want all NBA rules

Michigan State coach Tom Izzo has said he’s in favor of replacing college basketball’s rules with those of the NBA. Asked about Izzo’s position, KU coach Bill Self said he wouldn’t be in favor of scrapping the NCAA rulebook for that of the pros.

“I would think our game is unique, and I think it’s OK to be unique,” Self said. “I think there are some things that we should look at. We are going to look at a lot of ways we can better our game. I think there needs to be a combination of international play, the NBA and college rules. I don’t think you definitely go to NBA rules. I don’t feel that way because it’s a different game, a different caliber of athlete.

“When you look at the game as a whole, I think international rules have some of the best — after coaching in the World University games last year, I actually thought that was a better game to coach and play than the collegiate game, in large part because of the (shot) clock and the offensive rebounding and how things are done there.

“But I think there’s going to be ample talk and studies done to see what we need to tweak to make our game better. But I don’t know about total rule change. I do think we should extend the (three-point) line. I think the wider lane is fine. But I think what we really need to look at is if we want to have more pace is when we get an offensive rebound or when there is a dead ball situation off a foul in the fourth quarter, we don’t have to reset to 30 (seconds). I wish we’d reset to 20 or 18 or whatever it is, that way we can get back into action.”

Alexander to D-League

Former KU forward Cliff Alexander, who was recently waived by the Orlando Magic, has signed an NBA Development League contract and will join the Erie (Pa.) BayHawks, according to reporter Chris Reichert of fansided.com. The BayHawks are affiliated with the Magic.

This story was originally published October 26, 2016 at 8:30 PM with the headline "KU’s Landen Lucas hits links when it’s time to get away from basketball."