KU point guard Bobby Pettiford should be available vs. Mizzou, Bill Self says
Kansas sophomore backup point guard Bobby Pettiford, who suffered a hamstring injury in the first half of KU’s loss to Tennessee on Nov. 25 in the Bahamas and missed the rest of that game, and the next two, will likely be available to play in Saturday’s game at Missouri, KU coach Bill Self said Thursday.
Tipoff will be 4:15 p.m. at Mizzou Arena with a live telecast on ESPN.
“Bobby should go. Unless he has a setback today or tomorrow, he should be available,” Self said of the 6-foot-1 native of Durham, N.C.
“I think this is the healthiest we’ve been in a while,” Self added of the Jayhawk team before Thursday’s practice. “We’re not going to have Kyle (Cuffe, knee injury), and Wilder (Evers, walk-on) had surgery to repair a stress fracture Monday. Other than that I think we’re pretty healthy.”
Self reiterated what he said on Wednesday’s Hawk Talk radio show — that super-senior forward Cam Martin will be available for the MU game unless he has any setbacks this week. Martin, a 6-9, 230-pound native of Yukon, Okla., has not played in KU’s first nine games because of a shoulder separation he suffered at practice on Oct. 25.
“He is available. I don’t know how much of a role he’ll have immediately,” Self said of the former Missouri Southern State standout. “He has been healthy, pretty good in practice and those sorts of things. But he hasn’t done anything for four or five weeks.
“Just putting him out there and everything, I don’t know how comfortable he will be immediately. That’s kind of a tough situation to just get thrown in. I think he’ll do fine. I think when guys get hurt and they come back after an extended period of time, I don’t think we should look at it (as), ‘How does he help us win this next game?’ I think you look at it (as), ‘Hey, will he be in rhythm by conference season and all that stuff?’ I think the answer will be yes. Hopefully the rhythm will come immediately. I don’t know if you can bank on that.”
Fans on best behavior this week ... so far
Self said he had not received any prank phone calls from Missouri’s Antlers cheering section this week. In the past, The Antlers were known to try to make contact with KU players and coaches the week of the KU game.
“You’d have to ask the players that. So far my unlisted number has not been found out unless one of you (media) guys passed it along to somebody. It’s been pretty good so far,” Self said of not being bothered.
