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Originally published August 21, 2008 at 08:03p.m., updated August 21, 2008 at 09:10p.m.

KU’s Releford eligible; twins waiting on clearance

Self says Collins a month behind in conditioning

By Gary Bedore

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On Thursday, one of the three missing pieces for the Kansas basketball team has been filled.

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Kansas University freshman basketball player Travis Releford has been deemed academically eligible by the NCAA Clearinghouse, KU coach Bill Self said Thursday.

Freshmen Marcus and Markieff Morris, however, were not cleared Thursday, thus they did not participate in a 5:30 p.m. practice, KU's first workout in preparation for a three-game, Labor Day weekend trip to Canada.

Self said there was no way the twins would practice in Friday's 6:45 a.m. session, but he remained hopeful they'd be cleared in time for an afternoon practice.

"We didn't hear anything today so I'd assume it's day to day (in hearing from the Clearinghouse)," Self said. He reiterated that he believed the twins would be deemed eligible in the near future.

Also, junior Sherron Collins did not practice.

Self said Collins, who had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee April 22, did not report back to school in good physical condition following a three-week trip home to Chicago and was not close to being ready to practice with the team.

"Sherron will not practice for a while," Self said. "His conditioning isn't such where he can do that. I'd be surprised if he's able to do much at all this period (nine days of practice leading up to trip to Canada).

"He is a month behind where I thought he'd be at this stage," Self added. "He is not at the point where he is close to practicing."

Self did not completely rule out Collins playing in the three games in Canada.

"Unless he makes a great recovery and our training staff and doctors feel comfortable putting him out there, he won't play," Self said.

He did not hide his displeasure with Collins in his meeting with the media after Thursday's two-hour, 20-minute practice.

"He is just in bad shape. He reported back in bad shape," Self said. "He didn't report back in condition. You can't take four months off (during required rehab) and just start practicing. It's a gradual process the doctors said he has to go through. Based on conditioning he's not to that point. Based on his conditioning, he cannot practice. I don't know when he can, hopefully in the next week or so. I am not banking on it."

Self said Collins was cleared to begin conditioning three to four weeks ago. At that time, Collins elected to return home instead of remaining in Lawrence. Apparently, he didn't do much working out back in Chicago.

"I'm not throwing him under the bus because he's had a rough three to four months. It's not his fault he had surgery," Self said. "I expect more (out of him). A lot more."

He questioned whether Collins can be the team leader this season.

"I don't know if he can be that. I'd like him to become that," Self said, "but based on him not reporting back in shape, it doesn't go very far in him becoming that with me. That's the way I see it."

Self said, "I don't know," when asked how much Collins weighed. "Not 195," he added, referring to last year's listed weight for the 5-foot-11 point guard.

Comments

kujayhawk (anonymous) says...

WTF Sherron?

August 21, 2008 at 8:22 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

Strikewso (anonymous) says...

He just had surgery didn't he?

August 21, 2008 at 8:40 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

afilmer (anonymous) says...

collins better mix in a salad and get his act together.

August 21, 2008 at 8:47 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

rhino11 (anonymous) says...

He had surgery in April, take a chill pill. He's expected to play few/nill minutes in Canada.

August 21, 2008 at 8:52 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

rockchalk80 (anonymous) says...

Looks like Self opened the door for Taylor... carpe diem!

August 21, 2008 at 9:17 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

njjayhawk (anonymous) says...

Bill needs to start wearing his pointed-toe cowboy boots and start kicking butt.

Sounds to me Sherron had every opportunity to get into shape, but didn't. Not good, but I expect him to come around once back in Lawrence in the KU basketball family.

The Morris twins? Hard to say. I think they'll be OK. Self knew what he was recruiting when he pursued them, so I conclude they'll be fine.

Will be an interesting year. At least, there will be plenty of competition for playing time this year, and the guys who commit to excellence and put in the hard work will play. We'll end up with 7 solid, go-to guys that fit that category. Let the season begin.

August 21, 2008 at 9:22 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

rockchalkjayhawk81 (anonymous) says...

lazy summabitch

August 21, 2008 at 9:22 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

Tetonhawk (anonymous) says...

That sucks!

August 21, 2008 at 9:26 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

mpann1818 (anonymous) says...

Oh Bill, you got your work cut out for you with these children. Maybe Sherron will just eat the twins before they really embarrass us and not just themselves.

August 21, 2008 at 9:47 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

LAJayhawk (anonymous) says...

At least he didn't get stuck in the Taco Bell drive thru window.......

August 21, 2008 at 11:28 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

klineisanazi (anonymous) says...

Nice leadership, Sherron. Absolutely inexcusable. And yes, I am sure Coach has some cowboy boots from his Okie State days. Time to kick some major butt.

August 21, 2008 at 11:30 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

MILFdestroyer (anonymous) says...

Who Cares? Sherron will of course be ready for the season in October. He went back to Chicago to party and eat for a few weeks after surgery. It's only August.

August 21, 2008 at 11:39 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

Strikewso (anonymous) says...

He still hit that shot in April. That was money.

August 22, 2008 at 1:04 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

dagger108 (anonymous) says...

This pre-preseason schedules is all for the new crew. Sherron is coming off surgery and went home to see his baby, which he goes most of the year without seeing at all. Sounds like a rather well balanced view of life to me.

That being said, it isn't the obsessive leadership that this team needs with so many new players.

My guess is that it ends up working out just fine. The new guys get to see Coach's ire for a lack of single-minded devotion, they'll get extra PT, and they'll get a front row view of the team's best player busting it to get into elite condition prior to boot camp.

Now thru boot camp may be the big indicator of how the season goes.

August 22, 2008 at 3:30 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

derringer29 (anonymous) says...

in stead of some slim-fast dude needs some self-fast..i know hes got a kid and a girl and all that,but damm man this is your team man wheres the desire to be the best---I have faith in self that he will pull that need drive out of Collins..

August 22, 2008 at 4:53 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

Wooleybooly (anonymous) says...

Cut the guy a little slack. Keep in mind that he gets very little time to see his son, so you may have to forgive him for prioritizing his family a little. He will be at fighting weight when the season rolls around. Let HCBS do his job and leave the criticizing to him.

August 22, 2008 at 7:06 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

okjhok (anonymous) says...

I don't question anything Sherron does, 'cause I don't know him. I certainly don't have a problem with a dad going back to be with his kid, but this is the only case I can ever remember of an elite athlete that just crashes with his weight so easily. And what is he, like 20, 21?! Is his metabolism shot already? Damn, when he stops playing, dude's gonna balloon to like 300 bills within a year. I feel bad for him if it's all genetics, but if it's just bad eating habits, he needs some help.

I might be totally off here, but as an outsider, it looks like complacency after a championship, but only with one player. I surely can't see that being the case with anyone else on the team, so I don't think it'll be an issue. Sherron's got some time to work this out and I hope he does.

August 22, 2008 at 7:47 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

ohioburg (anonymous) says...

Sherron has always seemed to have weight problems. I wasn't surprised to hear this especially coming off surgery. Not happy, but not surprised.

August 22, 2008 at 9:47 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

oldalum (anonymous) says...

The last knee procedure he had didn't create these problems for him, but that's because he stayed in Lawrence. In Chicago he must have decided to lay around and eat. I hope it's not because he thought he wasn't going to have any competition for his position.

August 22, 2008 at 12:11 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

rockingthechalk (anonymous) says...

I have a wife and 2-year-old son, and I find the time to eat right and exercise at least 3 -- usually 5 -- times a week. And I'm certainly not a D-1 athlete.

This is pretty inexcusable. He had knee surgery. That means he can still work out his upper body and watch what he eats when weight has been clearly addressed as an issue for him. He is a scholarship division 1 player with NBA potential. Being in peek physical condition is his job -- and soon could be worth a lot of money. This would be like your lawyer trying to read a bunch of law books and cram knowledge of the judicial system into his head the day before your trial. Just unacceptable. There are millions of people -- including myself -- that would love to have his abilities, and he apparently isn't utilizing them to their maximum.

Just sad.

August 22, 2008 at 12:13 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

ralsterKUMed95 (anonymous) says...

Reading all the above, I do see some people trying to be understanding of Sherron's situation. I can understand him wanting to get out of Dodge, er, Lawrence after all that JayhawkTowerDangleDilemma (or "peenut predicament")...but I think most of our negative vibes may be coming from Bill Self's own statements at the press conference: If Bill aint happy, and he made it CLEAR he is not pleased with Sherron, then this team better watch out...If your own coach is calling you out in public, then there is something to it, as Self knows volumes more about coaching than any of us. (And apparently knows way more than Calipari about coaching talent...sorry!) Best way for me to put it is I am sympathetic to Sherron--he is after all a winner! I just hope he gets back to business to Self's satisfaction. He has got major shoes to fill as he tries to do what Russell AND Mario did. I do believe and hope that he can.

August 22, 2008 at 11:09 p.m. ( | suggest removal )