COACH-PARTUM ANXIETY AT CSUN KANSAS PLAYERS REMEMBER GOING THROUGH IT WITH WILLIAMS.

Byline: Jill Painter Staff Writer

One day, Kenny Gregory was working with longtime Kansas coach Roy Williams at a summer basketball camp. The next day, the Kansas forward turned on ESPN and learned Williams was being courted by North Carolina to become the school's next coach.

Gregory and his Kansas teammates say Cal State Northridge players should expect the same as Matadors coach Bobby Braswell becomes a hot commodity after the school's first NCAA Tournament appearance.

``It was very tough last summer,'' Gregory said. ``It was so sudden. One day you're working with campers with him and the next morning you wake up and see it on TV. We didn't know what to expect.''

Gregory said he expected the worst. He and his teammates were shocked, concerned and unsure. After widespread speculation, Williams decided to stay at Kansas.

Considering the opportunities that likely will open for Braswell, who turned the Matadors' program around in five years, Cal State Northridge players probably can't expect their coach to make the same decision. Kansas throttled CSUN 99-75 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, but that did little to jeopardize Braswell's probable shot at a higher-profile coaching job.

``I feel sorry for those players that have to go through that,'' Kansas guard Brett Ballard said. ``They're probably very loyal to him, but at the same time, they have to realize he's going to have bigger opportunities. It's not like he'd be selling them out, but he has to take the best opportunity for him.''

Braswell already is a rumored candidate at UNLV. Over the next couple of weeks, he's sure to get plenty of calls from athletic directors. Kansas senior center Eric Chenowith said Northridge players should not be surprised because Braswell has been successful at a mid-major program.

``Players graduate and go on to the NBA, why can't a coach go on to bigger and better things?'' Chenowith said.

If Braswell stays at CSUN, he'll have his work cut out for him. Six seniors played on this year's team that finished 22-10. Only one full-time starter - junior point guard Markus Carr - returns. Joey Busch and Jermar Welch each have one year of eligibility left, and Dan Read and Lionel Benjamin have two.

Carr already has expressed his sadness over Braswell's possible departure. He faces the same predicament Gregory did: a senior season without the coach who recruited him.

``It would've been tough for me playing my last year for a new coach,'' Gregory said. ``But I really would've felt bad for the younger guys - their first year and already they would've had to adjust to a new coach. It's a tough situation for everyone.''

Bryant Nash was a month away from leaving for his freshman year at Kansas when the news hit. He said his AAU coach told him he should think about transferring, but Nash never considered it.

``I was really hoping he'd stay, but I was acting like it didn't matter,'' Nash said. ``He's one of the greatest coaches of all time. I was just trying not to think about it.''

Coaches are aware of the problems rumors create. Braswell was a candidate for openings at Colorado State, Oregon and Long Beach State the last few years. CSUN senior center Brian Heinle, who said he lost sleep over it, used to call Braswell, jokingly prodding with him to stay.

A successful coach at any level will field requests to depart for more money, prestige and challenges. Even Williams, who has guided Kansas to the NCAA Tournament 12 consecutive years, thought about leaving.

``The temptation to think the grass is always greener is something all of us think about,'' Williams said. ``I've always been one of those where I've thought the grass is greener where I'm standing. If it wasn't where I was standing, it was at North Carolina.''

Kansas sophomore Nick Collison didn't want to see Williams leave, but he would've understood.

``We all understood what he was going through,'' Collison said. ``It's like when you're making your college decision - you wanted to do the best possible thing for you and your life at that time.''

Not that it was an easy time for Collison or his teammates. Although they understood why Williams would want to leave, they also wanted to know what was going to happen. Players said Williams told them he really didn't know and they appreciated his honesty.

Maybe nothing will completely ease a player's anxiety. But there was one thing that helped Kansas guard Jeff Boschee.

``The biggest thing probably is to go talk to him and see what his feelings are,'' Boschee said. ``Tell him to weigh his options and tell him to go with what his heart feels.''

Staff writer Lee Barnathan contributed to this report.