Big 12 Player of the Year Drew Gooden does not feel the weight of the world on his shoulders heading into the NCAA Final Four.

“It’s not on my back. I do not have to carry this team,” said Gooden, pressure-free entering Saturday’s Final Four semifinal against Maryland (7:47 p.m., Georgia Dome, Atlanta).

“I’ve said before I’m the luckiest All-American in the country. We’ve got a lot of guys who can score, rebound, lead the team. We have so many contributors on this team.”

The 6-foot-10, 230-pounder, who leads all Big 12 players in scoring (20.0) and rebounding (11.5) has averaged 16.8 points and 13.0 boards in the Jayhawks’ four NCAA Tournament victories.

Can he do more? Sure, he said.

Must he do more? Not necessarily.

“I don’t think Drew has to prove anything,” KU coach Roy Williams said, “but I think Drew will play great basketball. I have complete confidence in him and his ability. He will be really focused on helping his team win. I don’t think he’ll feel any pressure. He’ll be excited.”

Some say Gooden has been good  not great  in KU’s NCAA Tourney games. Somebody actually asked him if he’d “disappeared” in KU’s 104-86 Elite Eight victory over Oregon, a game in which Gooden exploded for 20 rebounds with 18 points.

“Not disappeared, but I’d say I was not pleased with my performance,” Gooden said. “I know I can play way better and coach knows I can play better. What makes up for it is we won. It teaches me winning is more important than individual stats. If I average two points from here on out and we win it or 30 and win it, I’ll still feel the same.”

Williams bristles at those who haven’t raved over Gooden’s play at last weekend’s Midwest Regional in Madison, Wis. The regional’s Most Outstanding Player scored 15 points with 13 boards in KU’s semifinal victory over Illinois.

“It’s amazing because Drew goes 15 points and 13 rebounds, then 18 and 20 and feels he played poorly,” the coach said. “The thing about it is that I think he’s played better than he played in those two games. I’m going to push him to play better in the next game.

“I love the fact the kid is completely hungry and the fact anybody else could look at those numbers and say, ‘Well I’m doing my deal,’ and Drew’s only concerned about helping his team win. That’s extremely important.”

Gooden isn’t interested in listening to comparisons between himself and Danny Manning, another 6-10, 230-pounder who carried KU to the national title in 1988.

That ’88 title team was nicknamed “Danny and the Miracles” for Manning, who combined for 56 points and 28 rebounds while leading the Jayhawks to victories over Duke and Oklahoma.

This year’s team, a bit more balanced than the ’88 titlists, will never be called “Drew’s Crew.”

“I am not the X-factor,” said Gooden, who opened tourney play with 19 points and 13 boards versus Holy Cross and 15 points and six boards versus Stanford. “This is about winning games and we have a lot of guys who contribute to winning games.

“I still think I can do better. The way our guys are playing there’s almost no need to. I would say I’d like to play better, but I have guys there to back me up.”

Guys like Nick Collison, who scored 25 points on 12-of-20 shooting in KU’s win victory over Oregon. Gooden hit seven of 13 shots in that game.

“I teased him after the game,” Williams said of a conversation with Gooden. “I said, ‘Big fella, that’s one of the few games somebody else put up more shots than you.'”

Actually, Gooden has led or tied KU in shots attempted in 30 of KU’s 36 games.

“The competitive drive in me says I can play better,” Gooden insisted. “I’m tired of these long weeks. I’m ready to play this game.”

KU fans needn’t worry that Gooden will become stir-crazy in Atlanta.

He fields all questions the same whether they are about carrying the team, likely bolting to the NBA after this season, winning a national title or why he chose KU in the first place with a smile on his face.

“I am having fun, a lot of fun,” Gooden said. “We’re going to the Final Four. How can it not be fun? Being there will be nice, but we are there to win games, win a national championship.”

How can KU win its first title since 1988?

By maintaining the same attitude the Jayhawks have had in winning 33 of 36 games, Gooden said.

“We are afraid of losing. It’s the best motivation,” Gooden said. “We know what it’s like to lose your last game of the season. That happened to us my first two years. We are afraid to lose and that’s the best thing you can bring to the table.”