Kansas’ Perry Ellis still a game-time decision for Big 12 Tournament opener

Kansas’ Perry Ellis passed the latest hurdle in his recovery from a sprained right knee. Ellis, a junior forward, practiced for the entirety of Kansas’ hour-long workout on Wednesday in Lawrence, and Kansas coach Bill Self said Ellis could play on Thursday in the quarterfinals of the Big 12 Tournament.

Ellis also participated in the Jayhawks’ afternoon shootaround at the Sprint Center.

(More Big 12 Tournament coverage)

“He looked good today,” Self said after the shootaround. “We only practiced for an hour in Lawrence, and he didn’t really move around much here (at the shootaround) by design. He practiced the whole practice. He went about 50 percent of the practice (on Tuesday).”

Ellis missed Kansas’ regular-season finale at Oklahoma after spraining his right knee in a victory over West Virginia last Tuesday. Self said Kansas’ training staff would evaluate Ellis on Thursday morning to determine whether he plays.

“If he’s got pain, which he didn’t have today, we’ll hold him,” Self said. “If he doesn’t, we’ll put him out there.”

▪ Self also said that sophomore guard Wayne Selden was cleared to play on a sore ankle, while sophomore wing Brannen Greene will play after serving a one-game suspension at Oklahoma.

Self, meanwhile, said there was “no new news, whatsoever” on the status of freshman Cliff Alexander, who has been sidelined since Feb. 28 while the NCAA investigates potential impermissible benefits received by his family.

This story was originally published March 11, 2015 at 6:11 PM with the headline "Kansas’ Perry Ellis still a game-time decision for Big 12 Tournament opener."