Kansas Jayhawks’ Remy Martin could miss Iowa State game

Kansas super senior Remy Martin has played the last four games after missing two straight games with a bone bruise in his right knee.

Yes, he’s been there – the 6-foot point guard who played four seasons at Arizona State went 14 minutes in Saturday’s 80-62 loss to Kentucky after recording 22 minutes against Texas Tech, 20 against Kansas State and 15 against Oklahoma – but has hardly been a factor in his appearances.

Asked what “he’s seen” of Martin lately, coach Bill Self said Monday: “Not much and it’s only because of health. You watched it the other day. He plays on one and a half legs. He can’t move.

Self said Martin is “probably working 60, 70 percent right now,” ahead of Tuesday’s game at Iowa State. The prediction for the Big 12 game between the Jayhawks (17-3, 6-1) and the Cyclones (16-5, 6-2) is at 6 p.m. with a live broadcast on ESPN.

“The same thing we told you a while ago is day to day, week to week or whatever,” Self said. “All it takes is a little bit of time for it to get cut and it goes back a bit, not from a structural point of view but from a pain point of view.

“There was one time in the second half (Saturday against Kentucky) when he was guarding (Kellan) Grady. He pretended to go one way and went the other way and there’s a 20 foot separation. He (Martin) couldn’t plant, push and go. He tries. I totally respect him trying to be there, but when you do a third or a quarter of the reps in practice and you’re just trying to pass, that’s where I feel he is right now . I feel bad for him because he didn’t come here not to play. He certainly didn’t come here to not be 100% when he (plays). »

Self was asked if there was any talk of resting Martin in the near future and if he would play against Iowa State, who beat Missouri, 67-50, on Saturday in a Big 12/SEC Challenge game at Ames, Iowa.

“We talk about a lot of things. It would probably benefit him to rest, but that’s a discussion he’ll have with doctors and coaches and everything,” Self said.

The exact injury is a bone bruise, Self said.

“I’m not a doctor. I guess that was what it was before, that’s what it always is,” Self said. “He didn’t do anything else (to hurt himself more in the knee) There is nothing structurally that would prohibit him from being there but it is painful for him to receive all the doctors.

Freshman point guard Bobby Pettiford, who played 10 minutes against Kentucky, is still not fully recovered from an abdominal strain that slowed him down for several weeks and kept him from playing 10 games.

“A lot of it is health. While we’d like to throw it out there, I think it’s still very limited in how far we can throw it out there,” Self said. “He played 10 minutes the other day and really didn’t do much. He didn’t do anything wrong. That was probably about all he could do the other day. I don’t think it’s close to 100%. I don’t think we’ll see the real him until he is. It is much better than two weeks ago. It is moving in the right direction.

Freshman forward Zach Clemence, who has missed the last six games, remains with a toe injury

“I’ll guess at least another week,” Self said of Clemence’s time on the sidelines.

Self also revealed Monday that senior forward David McCormack (three points, one rebound, 16 minutes against Kentucky) has had foot pain this season. McCormack underwent surgery in March to repair a broken bone in his right foot.

“That’s no excuse…you know Dave isn’t 100% healthy. He won’t be 100% healthy all year with his foot,” Self said. “It’s painful and that kind of stuff.”

The Jayhawks will face an Iowa State team that is 3-2 (2-2 in the league) since a 62-61 loss to KU on Jan. 11 at Allen Fieldhouse.

This is the game in which KU’s Dajuan Harris hit a driving layup with 7.1 seconds left to give KU the win. The Jayhawks, who led by nine points with eight minutes left, survived a final possession in which Iowa State’s Gabe Kalscheur missed a three-point shot just before the buzzer.

The Cyclones left Lawrence that night, very pleased with their efforts.

“It shows we’re capable,” said senior Izaiah Brockington, who scored 17 points and grabbed eight rebounds against the Jayhawks. For the year, the 6-4 guard is averaging 16.8 points and 7.8 rebounds per game. “It shows that we are capable of winning a game like this. We just have to finish it. »

KU realizes that Brockington is capable of a huge Tuesday night.

“He’s going to score because he can get his own shot and step up,” Self said. “(We have to) get him to take two tough ones.”

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Gary Bedore covers all aspects of Kansas basketball for The Star – the current team as well as former players and coaches and recruiting. He attended KU and was born and raised in Chicago, as well as Lisle, Ill.

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