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Tuesday, October 7, 2008

Collins gets free pass - for tonsillectomy

By Gary Bedore

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Sherron Collins has been granted a leave of absence from Kansas University basketball Boot Camp today through Friday.

KU's junior point guard - who according to coach Bill Self has been "great" at the Jayhawks' first six early-morning conditioning workouts - today is headed to the doctor's office to have his tonsils removed.

"He'll be out the next several days," said Self, whose Boot Camp runs through Friday. "He has had some (throat) problems of late. The doctors said, 'Let's take them out.' We don't need to have this flare up during the season. It's the only time we can do it based on the schedule."

Collins has fully recovered from offseason arthroscopic surgery on his left knee and should be ready for the start of practice Oct. 17 (Late Night in the Phog).

Meanwhile, junior Mario Little has been doing "40 to 50 percent of the stuff (at Boot Camp)," Self said of the 6-foot-5, 210-pounder, who the past five weeks has been rehabbing a stress fracture in his lower left leg.

"A lot of this is precautionary. He's doing fine. He's getting better every day," Self added. "The target date has always been the first day of practice. That's when we'll be comfortable enough to turn him loose. His lower leg is sore. It's healing, not 100 percent pain-free yet."

Self said he was pleased with the effort of his players at Boot Camp.

"For a bunch of young guys, they are doing well," Self said.

Comments

KEITHMILES05 (anonymous) says...

It's no fun having your tonsils removed but he'll feel so much better once it is completed. Gotta have him well this year.

October 7, 2008 at 4:23 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

derringer29 (anonymous) says...

Trust me this team is loaded we are the sleeper team of the country--we may start slow while the guys learn there rolls but when self finds his rotation look out, were going to be the team NO ONE wants to face in the tournament, theres no way we pull a florida and settle for the N.I.T ROCK CHALK CHAMPIONSHIP

October 7, 2008 at 5:41 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

nicka (anonymous) says...

derringer29 -

I would feel a lot better if the guys learned their roles.

October 7, 2008 at 7:24 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

guithawk (anonymous) says...

Are we talking Cinnamon Rolls or Crescent Rolls or what?

October 7, 2008 at 7:54 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

rel76 (anonymous) says...

What about the twins!!????

October 7, 2008 at 10:12 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

KU (anonymous) says...

derringer.....I sure hope you are right. I think it's a little premature to say. We struggled quite a bit when Rush's recruiting class came in and we didn't have to assimilate nearly as many players that year.

Anytime you're asking freshmen and jucos to fill 6 of the 8 or 9 spots that get playing time, you will have inconsistency until February, at best.

I believe in Self. If anybody can mold them into a tough team, it is he.

October 7, 2008 at 10:39 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

oldalum (anonymous) says...

You're right, KU. It seems to take a long time to get into that Self brand of defense. But once they have it, look out. Too many high schools don't play defense (at least not the kind they will need to satisfy Self), and the kids are starting from scratch.

October 7, 2008 at 12:28 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

kvskubball (anonymous) says...

to KU,

I agree that the euphoria and super high expectations seem to be over-blown. We need to let Coach mold these guys into a team. We have a really challenging pre-conference schedule this year, for a veteran team let alone our inexperienced one. The people who are so amped are going to be the ones that are crying and moaning if we lose 4 or 5 of those games, which is VERY possible.

nicka ~~ You are right. Come on everyone let these guys find their roles before we start saying they are going to win the Big XII and get to the Final Four.

Right now, before we play a game (or even have our first official practice for that matter) everyone thinks this team looks great, like Daisy Duke, yum yum! Hey, remember to put your glasses on before you start drooling, or you may find you were looking at Roseanne Arnold, uugh, uugh!!!

October 7, 2008 at 12:42 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

lrahardja (anonymous) says...

Sherron was one of our hero last year (the late inbound steal, the late three, and a pass to Mario while avoiding being foul), gotta have him back soon. It will be a more challenging season for Sherron as the defenders will be focusing to stop his penetration and force him to shoot from outside and mid distance. He's got to develop that mid jump shot to open himself up.

October 7, 2008 at 5:42 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

jaybate (anonymous) says...

Sherron has got to be sayin' "Why me lord? When's it gonna end?"

Sherron, it WILL end.

Be patient.

And get them to give you a lot of the throat spray that numbs your throat for the first 4-5s after the operation.

People always underestimate what a pain tonsillectomies are.

I had one and I feel your pain, pal.

October 7, 2008 at 9:03 p.m. ( | suggest removal )