LAWRENCE, Kan. Bill Self says if injured junior center Udoka Azubuike had his way, hed tape his right hand and continue competing for Kansas basketball team.
Whats frustrating is he wants to play, but the pain tolerance wouldnt allow him to do it, Self, KUs 16th-year basketball coach, said Monday at his weekly news conference at Allen Fieldhouse.
Azubuike, a 7-foot junior from Delta, Nigeria, tore a ligament in his hand after getting it hit in a drill at practice on Friday the day before the Jayhawks 77-60 loss to Iowa State at Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa.
Azubuike was held out of that game, then on Sunday was ruled out for the rest of the season after an MRI showed he needs surgery to repair damage in his shooting hand.
Its frustrating to me sometimes when people assume he should be out there. That kid shouldnt have been out there (Saturday), Self said. He wanted to try to be out there. Theres just no way he could have gone.
This is a crushing blow to him without question, Self added of Azubuike dealing with news his junior season and possibly his KU career if he elects to turn pro is finished.
This is deja vu for Azubuike. After playing in 11 games his freshman year, he hurt his left hand the same way in practice, had surgery, and sat the rest of the 2016-17 campaign.
We should not feel bad for us. We should just feel bad for him, said Self. His No. 7-ranked Jayhawks (12-2, 1-1) have lost a key player as they shoot for a 15th straight Big 12 regular-season title. If you look at it, the kid hasnt played very many games since hes been here.
Self noted that Azubuike, missed the whole season when hes a starter on a team that could win a national championship (2016-17). Last year he gets hurt (knee injury before Big 12 Tournament), even though he toughed it up and came back and gave us a chance to go to the Final Four.
This year he plays nine games (missing ISU game and four others because of ankle sprain) on a team that is preseason No. 1 in the country and we are undefeated when he plays, Self added.
Self said the injury did not appear serious when it happened.
Two years ago he got it caught in a jersey. This one … it was not a fall. He got it hit. We taped it up and he practiced. It was really bothering him (so X-rays were taken Friday and MRI Sunday), Self said, noting Azubuike would have surgery this week, perhaps by the same doctor who operated on his left hand two years ago. After that, Azubuike might head home for a few days before rejoining the team and helping coach his teammates from the bench.
Doctors believe Azubuike will be able to play basketball at some point this summer, using the same timetable as the previous hand injury.
Identical, Self said of Azubuikes two hand injuries. They (doctors) said they could flip the X-rays left hand and right hand line up perfectly.
Azubuike may or may not continue his career at KU. He declared for the NBA draft last spring but did not sign with an agent and ultimately elected to return to college.
