Kansas’ injury report isn’t all that promising heading into tonight’s nonconference basketball game against Tulsa.
Tipoff is 8:05 p.m. at Allen Fieldhouse.
Senior forward Kenny Gregory, who has missed the past two games because of a stress fracture in a joint in his right foot, dressed but did not practice Friday and is listed as doubtful.
He said Friday the foot is feeling better and he hopes to be back for the KU-Ohio State game a week from Saturday in his hometown of Columbus, Ohio.
Senior shooting guard Luke Axtell, who missed Tuesday’s DePaul game because of a left ankle sprain, practiced on a very limited basis Friday doing some dummy offense drills and running and may see limited duty tonight.
Freshman backup point guard Mario Kinsey missed a second straight practice because of cold and flu-like symptoms and is listed as doubtful.
Meanwhile, Tulsa junior forward DeAngelo McDaniel will miss tonight’s game because of a separated shoulder. Freshman center J.T. Ivy is bouncing back after a bout with the flu.
Now is not the best time to be a Kansas basketball player.
“I have four papers due on Monday and a final exam Wednesday,” KU senior center Eric Chenowith said. “But I am more concerned about Tulsa than anything right now.”
Tulsa, which enters 6-2, returns three top players off last year’s 32-5 team.
Senior forward David Shelton is averaging a team-leading 13.5 points per game. Senior guard Marcus Hill averages 13.4 ppg. Junior guard Greg Harrington checks in with a 9.6 scoring, 5.2 assist average.
“Coach says Tulsa is better than DePaul, so we really respect them,” said sophomore forward Nick Collison, who scored 23 points in KU’s victory Tuesday at DePaul.
Tulsa has beaten Arizona State (69-67), North Texas (89-71), Rhode Island (89-80), Santa Clara (65-59), SW Missouri State (61-55) and Oral Roberts (89-81, OT) and lost at North Carolina (91-81) and at Iowa (66-65).
The Golden Hurricane’s weakness so far has been shooting. Tulsa has hit 41.6 percent of its floor shots and 35.8 percent of its three-pointers while averaging 76 points a game.
“I’ve never had a club with a shooting percentage so low,” Tulsa coach Buzz Peterson said. “I’ve tried to watch tapes and see where the problem comes from. We’re not getting much out of our transition. The second part is our shot selection has been very poor.”
Tulsa has no starter taller than 6-foot-7. It could cause some interesting matchups against the Jayhawks, who could start three players 6-9 or taller.
“It’ll be tough for us because the matchups are funny. Tulsa is smaller and quicker,” Collison said. “With Drew running the three, one of the little guys can get him out of sync a little.”
Gooden, a 6-9 sophomore, is playing small forward because many perimeter players are ailing.
KU coach Roy Williams won’t let the Jayhawks rest on their laurels after Tuesday’s 75-69 win over DePaul.
“I’ll remind them that it was just one game,” he said. “Did it make us feel better (after 31 point loss at Wake Forest)? Darn right it did. There can’t be a 75 percent investment if you want to get everything you can out of basketball.”
Williams said the Jayhawks are taking a conservative approach with Gregory, not rushing him back: “I think Kenny could have continued playing,” Williams said of Gregory, who had X-rays after complaining of pain after the Illinois State game on Nov. 30. He’s missed the last two games after being diagnosed with a stress fracture in a joint, which is not as bad as a stress fracture in his foot.
“The original plan was to take him out a long time or continue to play in pain. It bothered him so much (after Illinois State) Kenny had no say in the last decision. The decision of the doctors and myself and the trainers said let’s hold Kenny out regardless. He came to practice last Saturday (and was) shocked when we told him he wouldn’t practice.
“If we make errors we’ll make errors on the side of being much more conservative.”
Gregory first felt foot pain about five weeks ago.
“In practice one day it was sore. A week or so later I made a turn and felt it then. Me being hardheaded, I tried to play through it,” Gregory said. “I thought it was a bruised bone. It was bothering me in the game so I told the trainers and had it checked. When I suit up and play I don’t want to be held back. I’m not going to baby it,” he added.