KU’s Azubuike scores career-high 31 in epic Senior Night game: ‘I couldn’t sit out’
On Saturday, as he sat on the Bramlage Coliseum floor writhing in pain, Udoka Azubuike feared his right ankle injury would keep him from playing against TCU on Wednesday in Allen Fieldhouse.
“I didn’t. I didn’t,” Azubuike, KU’s 7-foot senior center from Nigeria said late Wednesday night, asked if four days ago he thought he would be able to participate in his Senior Night game against the Horned Frogs. “When I turned my ankle I was really in pain. After that game my ankle was really swollen.”
Azubuike’s ankle was so swollen he wore a bulky boot on his foot Sunday and Monday. After shedding the boot, he was in non-stop rehab — trainer Bill Cowgill-led rehab — that worked.
In KU’s 75-66 victory over TCU on Wednesday, Azubuike exploded for 31 points — tying for most points by a senior on Senior Night since Danny Manning scored 31 versus Oklahoma State in 1988.
Azubuike added 14 rebounds and had five blocked shots (the only KU player in the Big 12 era to post 30/10/5 in a game) in 35 minutes.
Yes, he played 35 minutes and was instrumental in KU wrapping up at least a share of the 2019-20 Big 12 regular season title — just four days after rolling his ankle in Manhattan.
“It was my Senior Night. I couldn’t just sit out on my Senior Night,” said Azubuike, who hit 13 of 14 floor shots and was 5 of 13 from the line. “I couldn’t do it. I had to go out and be with my teammates.”
But how was it physically possible to get his ankle in playing shape in a short period of time?
“Thanks to Chedd (Cowgill’s nickname is Cheddar), we did rehab all day,” Azubuike said.
He said the first time he knew he’d play was Wednesday.
He reported to shootaround feeling OK after a light practice Tuesday.
“Just coming in today (Wednesday) when I started running back and forth I was not in much pain. It felt good,” Azubuike said.
KU coach Bill Self said he thought it was 50/50 on Monday whether Azubuike would play.
“Today at shootaround I said, ‘Doke just get loose. Don’t make it sore.’ He said, ‘No I’m practicing.’ I knew then he felt pretty well,” Self said.
KU’s coach happened to be in the fieldhouse working for Oklahoma State the night KU legend Manning had his own Senior Night, going for 31 points and 10 rebounds in a win over Eddie Sutton’s Cowboys.
“I was part of Danny’s (Senior Night),” Self said. “Tonight was probably better because the game was closer (than KU’s 75-57 win over the Cowboys in 1988). “Thirty-one, 14 and 5, that is pretty dominant.”
Azubuike — he gave a 13-minute speech to the fans after the game; fellow senior Isaiah Moss went for 1 minute, 20 seconds — has met Manning before.
“It’s good to be compared to a legend who played the game like Danny Manning,” Azubuike said. “What he did for the program … to be able to accomplish that is real special.”
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Sign upThe night couldn’t have gone any better for Azubuike, who scored 10 of KU’s first 12 points and had 18 points the initial stanza. He helped KU stay close to TCU, which led 37-35 after 20 minutes thanks to Desmond Bane and Edric Dennis, who combined for nine first-half threes. They finished with 24 and 18 points respectively for TCU, which hit 13 of 29 threes to KU’s 3 of 12.
“It’s a good day to be a Jayhawk,” Azubuike said. “We won the Big 12 championship in my last home game in the fieldhouse. It was good. It was emotional.”
Sophomore point guard Devon Dotson, who had 18 points, six rebounds and four steals in 37 minutes, credited Azubuike as he, Azubuike and Moss sat at a table wearing their new Big 12 title hats and T-shirts after the game.
KU (27-3, 16-1) can wrap up an undisputed title with a win Saturday at Texas Tech. KU also can be the undisputed champs if Baylor (15-2) loses at West Virginia.
“He’s a warrior,” Dotson said of Azubuike. “Senior Night … he went out with a bang. It’s a special moment for him with all he’s been through (injuries in two of his four seasons). I was happy to be on the court with him. Winning the title … it’s a great night.”
Marcus Garrett had nine points, five assists, four rebounds and three steals. Ochai Agbaji had eight points, Christian Braun four important second-half points and Moss five points, five boards and three assists in 37 minutes on his own Senior Night.
“I feel great about it. It’s what I came here for. I wanted to win,” Moss said. “I wanted to compete hard and be part of a great program. It feels good.”
The two seniors thanked their teammates, coaches and support staff in their speeches. Self in speaking to the fans called Azubuike “the best post in America” and Dotson “the best point guard in the country.” Self also said he was more “proud” of this title than any of the other 14 he’s been part of at KU.
“This guarantees us a share of it,” Self said. “We’d like to take care of business Saturday and win it outright (1 p.m. at Texas Tech).”
This story was originally published March 4, 2020 at 9:07 PM.
