Visit to hometown really no big deal for keefe

Steve Carp

Friday, Nov. 27, 1998 | 10:40 a.m.

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. -- It's less than a two-hour drive from suburban Boston to the birthplace of basketball. But for Brian Keefe, it wouldn't matter if tonight's UNLV-Kansas game were in Springfield, Ill., or Springfield, Mo.

The 6-foot-4 senior shooting guard from Winchester, Mass., knows how distracting coming home can be.

"I'm here to win the game," he said of the nationally televised matchup with the No. 8 Jayhawks on ESPN. "I treat it as a business trip.

"The way I look at it, these games aren't great to go home for. I don't get to hang out with my friends. I'm basically in the hotel and I get to see people after the game."

Keefe remembers last March when the Rebels faced Princeton in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in nearby Hartford, Conn. He set the ground rules then and the same applies to tonight -- take care of the immediate family (his parents, his grandmother and his uncle). Everyone else is on their own when it comes to tickets.

"It's going to be nice to have my grandmother there to see me play," Keefe said, conceding there is a bit of sentimentality to coming home. "But my friends understand. They know it's not a pleasure trip."

Meanwhile, he's having fun enjoying his final season as a collegian. A year ago at this time, he was on the outside looking in, as he had to wait until mid-December to join the Rebels after transferring from Boston College.

"It was nice to be out there opening day, knowing you're going to play each game," he said. "You have something to focus on and get ready for."

He's off to a decent start, averaging just under eight points a game. But the numbers are a bit deceiving. He was involved with three blowouts where he played reduced minutes and wasn't asked to take a lot of shots.

In the four games so far, he has attempted only 31 shots.

"They weren't asking me to score in the first two games," he said. "Against USC, I should have hit a few more. I felt like I had some rhythm."

Meanwhile, Keefe has been hustling on defense and trying to be a leader on the floor. As co- captain, it's a responsibility he takes seriously.

"This team works hard," he said. "The guys are committed and everyone's pushing each other in practice. That's nice to see."

Coach Bill Bayno has no complaints.

"Brian's going to do whatever it takes to win," Bayno said. "He's shooting it well in practice. He's just not getting the minutes and the shots in the games. But he's going to be fine."

Keefe's not sweating it, either.

"I'm enjoying myself," he said. "I'm with a good group of guys and I'm having fun."