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THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
J.R. GIDDENS
MONDAY, MAY 2. 2005
Giddens
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1A
Kansan file photos
Johnson watched Giddens lead his high school team to a state championship during his senior year in high school.
Johnson and Giddens have remained close through the years, and if no one else believes Giddens can shoulder a team, Johnson does.
Next season, Giddens wants to be a leader by example on a team that will have 11 underclassmen. It's a role he has filled before, according to Albert Johnson, athletic assistant at Texas A&M, who watched Giddens lead his high school team to a state championship his senior year.
That's why Giddens has a list of offseason goals that he wants to achieve.
"J.R can lead with his actions, like playing hard, being unselfish, making the extra pass, being there for his teammates," Johnson said.
Kit Leffler/KANSAN
"I really want to get better at ball handling, attacking the baskets." Giddens said. "Obviously I need to get better at attacking the basket."
Just like anywhere he goes, people at Subway look at him with recognition, but unlike some of his other teammates, fans don't often approach Giddens. Today two young boys sit with an older man in a corner booth. They stare with a look of curiosity, as if wondering if that is J.R. Giddens in line at Subway. They don't approach him.
There is something intimidating about Giddens, an element of secrecy. Kansas fans don't quite know him yet.
Losing favor
Giddens' thefacebook.com account is just an example of what he endured this past season.
Dozens of "You suck" and
"Giddens you can't hit a shot"
messages
had to be
removed
from his
message
board after
each log-
on.
Above: J.R. Giddens fields questions from reporters after this season's March 18 NCAA Tournament loss to Bucknell. Right: One of Gidden's goals next season is to put the ball on the ground more like he did during this game at Iowa State.
The bottom line is this: J.R. Giddens didn't make as many shots this year as he did during his freshman season, and he took a great deal of criticism for it.
Giddens averaged 11 points and 3.6 rebounds per game his freshman season. He shot 40 percent from three-point range. He was named to the All-Big 12 freshman team.
would do that." Giddens said.
"Maybe you expect that at the next level, but not at Kansas."
After the Bucknell loss alone, he received hundreds of negative messages from fans, he said.
There was talk of him jumping to the NBA after just one year in college. Giddens said he never
I feel like I play bad more than any body. Imagine working hard your whole life and your whole forte wasn't going well. Basketball wasn't going well for me.
One fan even name-called his father and his sister.
"I never thought a Kansas fan
considered leaving after his first year at Kans a s, but he did get some calls from scouts telling him he was ready for the jump.
Giddens said. "They thought my game was good for the league."
"Scouts watched a lot of my game on TV and
stuff and saw that I had a good freshman season. I could shoot and I could run and jump,"
After missing almost all of last year's offseason because of foot surgery, Giddens entered his sophomore season with high expectations. He was named to the Preseason All-Big 12 Conference honorable mention team. Self said they were unrealistic expectations for a 19-year-old who missed all of the offseason.
"I was trying so hard, but it was just a weird season from the beginning." Giddens said.
His points per game dropped to 10.1, while his minutes increased from 25 to 27. He shot just 33 percent from behind the arc this season. But it was the number of three-point shot attempts that initiated criticism.
Against Nevada on Nov. 29, he went just 3-8 from behind the arc. He shot 3-10 against South Carolina on Dec. 18. He went two games without a three-pointer against Texas A&M and Kentucky on Jan. 5 and Jan. 9.
The criticism continued, and Giddens was well aware of it.
"I feel like I play bad more than anybody." Giddens said "Imagine working hard your
whole life and your whole forte wasn't going well. Basketball wasn't going well for me."
Giddens said midway through the season, he got so caught up in what he was doing wrong that he forgot to enjoy the game.
He turned to his teammates, especially his best friend and roommate Jeremy Case, sophomore guard. He worked closely with Self to better his overall game, beyond just shooting. He called Johnson hundreds of times.
Johnson told him not to worry about what he wasn't doing; instead focus on helping Kansas win.
"It was one of those times that every player goes through," Johnson said. "I told him to listen to coach Self and to focus on the things he could control to get his confidence back up."
Kansas coach Bill Self knew that Giddens had lost his confidence, but he never gave up on him. He knew Giddens was caught up in the negative publicity surrounding his season.
"I've always thought he thought too much." Self said. "He was worried about doing things that people said he wasn't doing instead of doing things that he needs to do, but it is not intentional."
Self worked with Giddens to improve his rebounding, passing and defense. His teammates encouraged him to keep shooting.
"I had the greatest teammates," Giddens said. "They would say,
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