KU senior center Udoka Azubuike ‘money from the line’ against Oklahoma State
A sub-par 45.4% free throw shooter on the season, Udoka Azubuike converted 7 of 8 attempts against Oklahoma State on Monday night, the Kansas 7-footer’s only miss a shot that may have barely grazed the backboard.
“His airball wasn’t really an airball. It was wide left,” KU coach Bill Self said with a laugh Tuesday on Self’s weekly Hawk Talk radio show.
That was pretty much the only joke made regarding Azubuike during the entire hour-long broadcast. The 255-pound Delta, Nigeria native followed Saturday’s 23-point, 19-rebound performance in a 64-61 win at Baylor with 19 points and 16 boards in a 83-58 rout of the Cowboys in Allen Fieldhouse.
“When you’ve got the big fella changing the game it seems most every possession on both ends, that bodes well for you. Nobody else in America has a guy like that. Nobody,” Self said of all teams in NCAA Division I.
And as a bonus … “now he’s money from the line,” Self stated. “He’s above 50% in the league now. He’s at 53 I think.”
“He practices so much. He practices layups and free throws, that’s what he practices,” Self said. “I know he loves it when he knocks them down. I think he takes more satisfaction making a free throw than he does a dunk.”
Azubuike has 160 baskets this season, including 93 dunks. Overall he’s 160 for 215 shooting from the field for 74.4%.
He had made 7 of his last 20 free throws over the last five games prior to Monday’s OSU game.
“He’s doing some stuff on his own. He does a lot at practice. When certain people are doing certain drills, he’s shooting free throws,” Self said. “He shoots a lot of free throws every day.”
Azubuike entered this season with 67 makes in 170 attempts for a 39.4% career free throw average.
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Sign up“I thought going into the year he’d shoot 60% or so. He’s a little behind,” Self said. “He got off to a pretty rough start. He’s doing fine.
“Doke will never be a guy who will shoot an unbelievable percentage (from line). That’s not what he does. What he does is force three guys to guard him and foul him, put the other team in foul trouble, get in the bonus quicker,” Self added.
Azubuike said works on all parts of his game, not just free throw shooting.
“Like I told you I’m not worried about my free throws,” Azubuike said. “It’s all about my routine. It’s about me going in my routine and making them. There’s no pressure on me making free throws. I know it’s a big topic for you media and stuff. It’s not a big topic for me. If it goes in it goes in. If not there’s the next play.”
Azubuike averages 13.4 points and 10.4 rebounds overall and 13.3 points and 11.6 rebounds in Big 12 play.
“As far as combining athleticism and true old-school power, I don’t think anybody has one (player) like this — anybody,” Self said on Hawk Talk.
Some say the race for Big 12 player of the year is between KU’s Azubuike and Devon Dotson as well as Baylor’s Jared Butler.
Dotson is averaging 17.9 points and 4.0 rebounds a game with 112 assists, 63 turnovers overall. He has 56 steals in 27 games. In league play he averages 16.9 points and 4.1 rebounds with 50 assists, 29 turnovers, 27 steals.
Butler entered Tuesday’s game against Kansas State averaging 15.6 points and 2.8 rebounds a game with 76 assists to 58 turnovers. He has 40 steals. In league play, Butler entered Tuesday’s game averaging 14.2 points and 3.0 rebounds with 22 steals, 37 assists, 21 turnovers.
“Oh my gosh, yes. He’s in the conversation,” Self said of Butler.
In discussing the co-Big 12 leaders — the Baylor Bears, who have split with KU this season — Self said: “If you had the all-defensive first-team in the league there should be three guys on it from Baylor — three and two from Kansas. I personally think we have the two most elite ones (Marcus Garrett, Azubuike). How do you take (Mark) Vital and (Freddie) Gillespie) and (Davion) Mitchell and not make them on the first team? And that doesn’t even include anybody from Texas Tech or West Virginia. It won’t play out that way. I”m saying you could make a case for that.”
Brothers visit after game
Self reiterated Tuesday how much fun Azubuike had Monday spending time with his older brother, Chima Azuonwu. Azuonwu, who now lives in Nashville, Tennessee, until Monday had never watched Udoka play in a college game. Also he had not seen his brother in eight years.
“Doke was proud,” Self said. “I left the locker room area at 11-ish. Doke still had his brother in there. They were taking pictures. They were the only two left. That was fun to see.”
Prep Williams to visit KU again
Donovan Williams, a 6-foot-5 senior combo guard from North Star High School in Lincoln, Nebraska, attended the KU-OSU game Monday night on an unofficial recruiting visit.
Williams, the No. 128 ranked player in the recruiting Class of 2020 by Rivals.com, has a list of KU, Kansas State, Oklahoma State, Oklahoma, Texas, Oregon and others.
“Coach Self really stood out with the way he coached. (He) isn’t overly loud or obnoxious just very calm and will get on you but in a positive way,” Williams told Jayhawkslant.com. “I talked to Christian (Braun) a little bit just to say what’s up since it’s been a while since I have seen him. I walked around with coach (Norm) Roberts which was good.”
Williams said he will return for another unofficial visit for the KU-TCU game on March 4 in Allen.
