KU’s Perry Ellis says his sprained knee is at ‘90-plus’ percent
Kansas’ Perry Ellis estimated Thursday that his sprained right knee was at “90-plus” percent after being limited last weekend at the Big 12 Tournament. Ellis, a 6-foot-8 forward, will start on Friday against New Mexico State and doesn’t expect to be hindered too much by the knee.
“Time is good for healing,” Ellis said. “It’s getting better and better. I’m doing everything full pace.
“I’ve been going through so many different reps … I’m not thinking about it no more.”
KU coach Bill Self said he gave Ellis the day off Monday but he’s practiced the last three days.
“He’s been terrific,” Self said. “He hasn’t winced once; he hasn’t had to come out, none of that stuff.
“He probably hasn’t shot the ball consistently as well as what he was before the injury, but I don’t think it has anything to do with the injury.
Familiar with Wiggins
The New Mexico State roster features five players from the Toronto area, which means they are definitely familiar with former Kansas star Andrew Wiggins, who grew up in Vaughan, Ontario.
Aggies redshirt freshman center Tanveer Bhullar said he played with Wiggins while the two were growing up outside Toronto and later at Huntington Prep in West Virginia. Bhullar, who wore a Toronto Raptors hat in the locker room on Thursday, said he still follows Wiggins’ career closely.
“You can’t just forget about him, because he’s been on the spotlight since he was a kid,” Bhullar said. “It was a great seeing him in the NBA and succeeding.”
Not focused on Wichita State
While a potential matchup with No. 7 seed Wichita State awaits on Sunday, Kansas’ players attempted to keep the focus on New Mexico State.
“If it happens, it happens,” Selden said. “And we will look at it when it happens.”
The Shockers, meanwhile, will open the NCAA Tournament against No. 10 seed Indiana on Friday.
This story was originally published March 19, 2015 at 7:55 PM with the headline "KU’s Perry Ellis says his sprained knee is at ‘90-plus’ percent."