Azubuike’s ankle ‘sore,’ but improving: ‘He can walk on it in a limited capacity’
Injured Kansas junior center Udoka Azubuike has been working on his shooting form the past couple days, hoisting 5-foot shots while seated on a four-legged stool in KU’s practice gym.
The 7-foot, 270-pound Nigeria native is in the early stages of rehab after suffering a severely sprained right ankle in the first half of KU’s 72-47 victory over Wofford on Dec. 4 at Allen Fieldhouse.
“The swelling is still there, but it’s gone down a tremendous amount. He can walk on it in a limited capacity,” KU coach Bill Self said on Tuesday’s Hawk Talk radio show.
“Part of the rehab process is to walk on it. Hurting is probably too strong a word. He’s really sore. He has to fight through some things,” Self added. “Hopefully if he has a great physical therapy or rehab sessions, then maybe he can come back a week earlier. It’s not going to be one (of those things) just because you try hard, he’s going to come back. He’s trying right now but is a ways away before we can get into serious rehab because he’s reluctant to put pressure on it,” Self added.
Azubuike — he has averaged 12.9 points and 6.1 rebounds in seven games — did not play in Saturday’s 63-60 victory over New Mexico State at the Sprint Center.
He’s not expected to practice, much less play in a game, anytime soon.
“The good thing about Doke’s ankle,” Self said, “is structurally it’s OK. He’s hurt, though. But structurally it’s OK. What he has to do is put himself in position where he can come back as quickly as possible. It’s not going to be this weekend obviously (Saturday against Villanova, 11 a.m., Allen Fieldhouse). Who knows if it can even be next weekend (Saturday, Dec. 22 at Arizona State)?
“He’s looking at … when I say 100 percent, I’m talking about conditioning and rhythm and that kind of stuff. We are probably looking to the first of the year before that can probably happen.”
KU opens the Big 12 season versus Oklahoma on Jan. 2 at Allen Fieldhouse.
KU, which has four games left prior to the league opener, also is currently without soph forward Silvio De Sousa. He has not played in a game this season as the NCAA examines his eligibility.
“Certainly you’d think maybe we’d know something on Silvio at least sometime relatively soon,” Self said on Hawk Talk. “You’d think that, but I have no inside scoop on that.”
Vick update
Self was asked about senior guard Lagerald Vick, who has combined for five points on 2-of-11 shooting the past two games (Wofford, N.M. State) after a five-game stretch in which he scored 32 points against Vermont, 33 against Louisiana, 16 against Marquette, 15 against Tennessee and 27 against Stanford.
Vick didn’t start against Wofford after arriving late for shootaround, then was held out of the starting lineup again Saturday after having what Self last week called “a really bad Thursday, let’s leave it at that.”
“He’s done OK. He got off to a great start for us where he was not (just) the best player on our team but one of the best in the country for that five-game stretch. He was on fire, playing well on both ends,” Self said.
“It’s been well documented. He overslept, came 20 minutes late to a shootaround and didn’t start. That particular game his attitude was good, but he goes oh-fer (zero points, two boards, 22 minutes vs. Wofford). We were actually better … we go on a 27-0 run and he wasn’t part of that. I think that was probably good for him to see that. Now that doesn’t take away from him being one of the best players (on team), but not that day.
“We had a little hiccup after that,” Self said. “He made a couple big plays for us in the New Mexico State game (five points, five assists, six rebounds) but probably wasn’t as active or as engaged as he probably would have been if he hadn’t had a hiccup. He’s had a really good attitude and has tried really hard. We are hoping he can get back to where he was when his head was right. Of course the basket looked really large to him. We think he can (get back to form). There’s no reason why he can’t.”
Self added that he’s talked to Vick about, “How do you spin a negative into a positive? How do you take a negative and make it less of a negative? You certainly don’t want it to compound. I think all guys are different that way.
“The bottom line,” Self continued, “is it is December. We have a long, long season ahead of us and so I’d have a hard time not treating everybody the exact same way regardless of their makeup or how they handle situations because you are trying to win the war so to speak not just the battle.”
Self said, “Winning over time would be handling it the right way. I’m not saying we always handle it the right way or trying to imply that at all. I don’t think just because a guy is playing well you cut him slack. He needs to do what everybody else does. He will.”
Self concluded the topic by saying: “He didn’t have a great week, but that was last week.”
AD likes atmosphere in Allen
New KU athletic director Jeff Long joined Hawk Talk for the first segment Tuesday. He said he likes what he’s seen in KU basketball thus far.
“I know coach Self doesn’t like being ranked No. 1, but I’m just telling you the athletic director does and I know you do,” he said with a laugh to host Brian Hanni, radio voice of KU basketball and football.
“I think we’ll take all this No. 1 we can get for as long as we can keep it.”
Long said he believed KU would have a loud crowd for Saturday’s game, despite the early 11 a.m. start and the fact final exams end Friday and students are free to head home for the holidays.
“I was amazed at the first exhibition game I walked into. It’s sold out and the loudness … I can only imagine what it’ll be like Saturday against Villanova,” Long said. “I don’t think the 11 a.m. start time will preclude us from being loud. Students are staying around and will be packed in there. I’m excited to see that.”
Villanova loses to Penn
KU’s next opponent, No. 17-ranked Villanova, fell to unranked Penn, 78-75, on Tuesday night to drop to 8-3 on the season. Penn improved to 9-2. Villanova had rattled off six straight wins since suffering early-season losses to Michigan and Furman.
