Missouri hopes to have Russell Hansbrough back for Kentucky game

Senior running back Russell Hansbrough, who was limited the first two games of the season and sat out Saturday’s win against Connecticut, no longer appears on the Missouri injury report.

Hansbrough, a team captain who suffered a sprained right ankle on his first carry Sept. 5 against Southeast Missouri, is expected to return for the conference opener at 6:30 p.m. Saturday at Kentucky, but nothing is guaranteed.

“We think we’re going to get Russell Hansbrough back,” Tigers coach Gary Pinkel said. “We don’t know yet until he starts practicing this week, but we think he’s probable so we listed him as a starter.”

Hansbrough said he hasn’t tested the ankle since playing sparingly at Arkansas State, so he won’t know how much the injury has progressed until he practices.

“I really don’t know until (Tuesday) once I practice and see how it feels when I cut and stuff,” Hansbrough said.

He indicated that he probably couldn’t have played against Connecticut, because “I probably couldn't even move laterally” and that he shouldn’t have played against the Red Wolves.

Hansbrough had five carries for 15 yards at Arkansas State. He said he lobbied to play, but MU’s staff pulled him from the game when it was clear the ankle wasn’t right.

Freshman wide receiver DeSean Blair was the only addition to the injury report. He remains sidelined with a concussion he suffered Friday in a car accident on the northeast corner of Missouri’s campus.

That wasn’t the only change to the depth chart.

Tyler Hunt, Morgan Steward and Chase Abbington are co-third string at running back entering the SEC opener.

Redshirt freshman Walter Brady has moved ahead of sophomore Marcell Frazier as the starter at left defensive end, while freshman defensive tackle Terry Beckner Jr. has moved into a starting role with junior Rickey Hatley shifting to the backup nose guard spot.

Sophomore Anthony Hines, who was signed in August, replaced redshirt freshman Finis Stribling IV as the third cornerback at Aarion Penton’s spot.

South Carolina game time set

Missouri’s home game Oct. 3 against South Carolina at Memorial Stadium was chosen for an 11 a.m. kickoff on the SEC Network.

Kan claims another conference award

Missouri junior outside hitter Carly Kan was chosen Monday as the SEC co-offensive player of the week for volleyball.

Kan, who also was chosen as SEC player of the week last week, had 55 kills and a .307 hitting percentage en route to her fourth straight tournament MVP honor as the Tigers went 3-0 at the Butler Invitational.

She recorded her 1,000th career kill during the tourney.

This story was originally published September 21, 2015 at 8:28 PM with the headline "Missouri hopes to have Russell Hansbrough back for Kentucky game."