A FRESH START // Wisconsin's King-Sized Gain: Griffith Is Happy

MADISON, Wis. Rashard Griffith sat across the table in a windowlessconference room at the Wisconsin Fieldhouse, wearing a Wisconsinletterman's jacket in place of the King High School jacket that washis trademark last year.

The Badgers' 6-11, 270-pound center of attention also waswearing a wry smile that seemed to say, "I wonder how this guy isgoing to ease into it."

But when faced with the subject of his announcement last springthat he planned to leave school - followed by the announcement a fewweeks later that he would return to Wisconsin after all - thesophomore rejected it with the seeming ease he displayed in leadingthe Big Ten in blocked shots last winter.

"It's not hard to deal with because I don't deal with it,"Griffith said. "It's in the past. It's dead, over with. I don'teven think about it until somebody brings it up."

What Griffith is thinking about is the future: Helping putWisconsin on the basketball map, then realizing his dream of beingone of the top three picks in the NBA draft.

Maybe he'll try to make that happen next spring; maybe he'llwait. That's not really the issue right now.

Rashard Griffith, you see, is happy again - and that's goodnews in Badgerland.

It started innocently enough.

Back home in Chicago for spring break, Griffith casually wentpublic with his intentions to leave Wisconsin.

Frustrated because he felt he wasn't getting the ball enough inWisconsin coach Stu Jackson's offense, Griffith told a reporter hewas leaving school.

"It was a spur-of-the-moment thing," Griffith said. "I wastalking to the reporter and I told him how I felt. That's the kindof person I am. I felt I wasn't progressing like I wanted. And Ifelt my best move was to leave."

But after a couple weeks of intense discussions, Griffithdecided to remain a Badger.

The fact was, happy or not, his options were limited. He couldhave transferred, which would have meant sitting out a year. Or hecould have turned pro, where he would have been taken as a project,rather than a top pick.

"My mistake was to go to a newspaper reporter, instead of mycoach," Griffith said. "That's one thing I learned from it all:communication."

Ironically, after persuading Griffith to remain at Wisconsin,Jackson left for the NBA himself, to become general manager of thenew Vancouver team.

"Yes, I'm a little tired of it," said new Badgers coach StanVan Gundy, the enthusiastic 35-year-old gym rat who succeededJackson. "I'd like the focus to be on our team and what Rashard isdoing now, not what happened six months ago. How many of us madedecisions when we were 19 years old that were worse than what Rasharddid? It just so happened that his decision was broadcast on ESPN.

"What happened last spring gave a distorted image. I've heardpeople say Rashard is spoiled and selfish. That's not the Rashard weknow. He's a hard-working, unselfish kid. Other than that two- orthree-week period, he has been a darn solid person. (It's not fair)to anyone to have one incident become the focal point.

"The problem is, the kid hasn't done anything else. He's beena great kid - and that doesn't sell newspapers."

The real story on Griffith, the people connected with Wisconsinbasketball feel, will come this winter - on the court.

Bolstered by a year of turbulent experience - not to mentionslick-shooting Michael Finley, who might be the best player in theBig Ten - Griffith is hard at work preparing to make this season ahappier one.

"The thing I learned from last year is you can't rush in and dothings right away," Griffith said. "With Stu, I also learned thatcommunication is very important. I think that was a hard experienceon both sides."

Even in the winter of his discontent, Griffith averaged 13.9points, 8.5 rebounds and 2.6 blocks a game. For most players, thatwould be an outstanding freshman year - but not for a player who hasbeen a center of attention since he was a 6-10 eighth-grader.

"I know I could have done better," Griffith said. "It seemedlike I was just in there for rebounding and defense. I'm not talkingabout shooting the ball; I'm just talking about seeing the ballmore."

That's where Van Gundy comes in.

"Stan's a great guy, period," said Griffith, who also said heand Jackson are "still friends."

"(Van Gundy's) like another father. He's a player's coach. Hesays, `You're going to make mistakes. Just go out and play.' "

In helping the 14th-ranked Badgers to a 4-0 start, Griffith isaveraging 16.3 points, 6.5 rebounds and two blocks. And he's justgetting warmed up.

Far from finding studying an unwanted burden, Griffith said, "Ienjoy going to class. I get to meet new people. Some even havethanked me for coming back to Wisconsin. I feel more like it shouldbe me thanking them.

"I visited a lot of schools with great traditions. But if I'dgone to one of them, I would have been in the shadow of otherplayers. I wanted to go somewhere where I could make my ownshadow."

In many ways, it appears, Griffith already has.

A FRESH START // Wisconsin's King-Sized Gain: Griffith Is HappyMADISON, Wis. Rashard Griffith sat across the table in a windowlessconference room at the Wisconsin Fieldhouse, wearing a Wisconsinletterman's jacket in place of the King High School jacket that washis trademark last year.

The Badgers' 6-11, 270-pound center of attention also waswearing a wry smile that seemed to say, "I wonder how this guy isgoing to ease into it."

But when faced with the subject of his announcement last springthat he planned to leave school - followed by the announcement a fewweeks later that he would return to Wisconsin after all - thesophomore rejected it with the seeming ease he displayed in leadingthe Big Ten in blocked shots last …