F*telegram Article On Keith Wooden, Game Schedules

OldTimer · February 28, 2007

Improved play hard to maskBy TROY PHILLIPS

Star-Telegram Staff Writer

DENTON - Keith Wooden has never been superstitious, but there's something about the mask...

Well, probably not.

"If it helps, it helps," said Wooden, North Texas' junior center. "Maybe I'll keep wearing it."

Since donning a Rip Hamilton-esque mask on Feb. 5 to protect a broken nose, Wooden has been bombarded by comments linking his stronger play to a supposedly mystical face guard.

Mostly, Wooden finds such talk a little silly. He's more inclined to believe his first full season of basketball after a long layoff has paid off -- for him and the Mean Green.

Real or imagined, Wooden hopes any boost the mask has given his game continues when UNT (19-10) faces Louisiana-Lafayette (9-20) in the first round of the Sun Belt Conference tournament at 7 tonight at the Super Pit.

Wooden, a native of Lawrence, Kan., left the basketball belt of the Midwest to play for Arizona State in 2003. He ended up at UNT after leaving Arizona State in early January 2005, having gotten into a bind academically.

He had planned to transfer closer to home to Wichita State, but UNT was a better match in the end. Wooden said landing in Denton has been the best situation he could imagine.

"Coach [Johnny] Jones and everyone embraced me with open arms," Wooden said. "I feel like I've really fit in here."

At times, Wooden has looked as if he's in a relearning mode after not playing in a college game for 22 months. Finishing shots has perhaps been his weakest area, but rebounding, defense and a surprisingly deft passing game have all given UNT a lift.

He made the winning layup in an 86-85 victory against Western Kentucky on Dec. 19 and had a season-high 20 points against Denver on Dec. 30.

While fighting for a rebound against Western Kentucky on Feb. 3, he took a forearm across the face and suffered a broken nose. Despite that injury and earlier knee problems, Wooden has missed only one game all season, a Dec. 28 suspension for not getting back in time from Christmas break.

Other than that blip, Wooden has been tireless in practices and games, especially in building an on-court chemistry with UNT's other two big men, Quincy Williams and Justin Howerton. Williams and Wooden especially seem to mesh in the passing game.

"He's really helped us out this year," Howerton said of Wooden. "It's near the end of the season, and Keith and everyone just seem to be in the right place at the right time."

Wooden said he feared "looking like an idiot" as he was fitted for the mask with a slimy liquid that later hardened to his face as a mold.

"It's cold when they pour it on, but it's a fun experience," he said. "I didn't know if I'd like it, but I've become accustomed to it. I put on my mask and go to battle."

Jones said Wooden's conditioning, not the mask, is the reason for his improvement.

"It protects his nose, but I don't think it interferes with his game one way or the other," Jones said. "Maybe, though, we'll keep it on him next year until he starts playing bad."

ONLINE: meangreensports.com

IN THE KNOW

Is it the mask?

UNT center Keith Wooden's numbers have improved since he donned a protective mask six games ago. A comparison:

With mask Without mask

11.0 ppg 9.0 ppg

8.5 rpg 4.8 rpg

1.3 bpg 0.9 bpg

81.5 FT% 58.8 FT%

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