Whoa … not so fast, Super Mario.
“I wanted to get on the bike today, but our trainer said I’d better hold off until tomorrow,” said Kansas guard Mario Kinsey, eager to begin rehab following anterior compartment surgery on his lower left leg.
Kinsey reported ready, willing and able for practice at Allen Fieldhouse Wednesday afternoon just two hours after being released from Lawrence Memorial Hospital.
“I’m ready to get back in action,” Kinsey said. “I’ll be on the bike tomorrow and hopefully be back at practice next week, or at least be out there shooting.”
Kinsey, who had surgery Tuesday night, shot on the side at practice just five days after Oct. 17 anterior compartment surgery on his lower right leg.
This time, KU’s 6-foot-2 point guard from Waco, Texas, is expected to miss between 10 and 14 days, including games against Washburn (Saturday), Middle Tennessee State (Monday) and Illinois State (Nov. 30).
“It’s very frustrating,” Kinsey said. “My sisters told me, ‘Your first semester will always be the toughest in college.’ I didn’t know they meant it would be like this.”
At least Kinsey figures to be finished with surgery for this particular problem. Both legs have been taken care of.
“Once it gets cut once, that’s it,” Kinsey said.
What actually causes the syndrome, which is similar to a severe case of shin splints?
“Stress,” Kinsey said. “It’s the difference going from football practice to Roy Williams basketball practice. That’s what did it a Roy Williams basketball practice.”
He was in agony while committing three turnovers and picking up three fouls in 15 minutes Monday against Boise State.
“It was hurting so bad. I came off the court at one point and told Mark (Cairns, trainer) I wanted surgery now,” Kinsey said. “I think a lot of it (performance) had to do with my leg. It was not feeling too good. I didn’t want to cause mistakes that coach gets so upset about.”
Kinsey, by the way, says the two surgeries haven’t made him reconsider playing two sports at Kansas.
“I still want to do both sports no second thoughts,” Kinsey said. “Before I became an asset to the basketball team, I was an asset to the football team. I came up here to play football first. It’s what I’ll do no matter what and play basketball, too.”
The Jayhawks were to practice today, then eat a Thanksgiving feast at the Williams household.
“Wanda has a big-time dinner planned,” Williams said of his wife. “This is family time, yet college basketball players don’t always get a chance to enjoy family because of distance from home and fact we have games.”
Several former KU players are playing in European leagues this season. Steve Woodberry is in Lithuania, Richard Scott in Spain, Adonis Jordan in Germany and Lester Earl in Beirut.
Yes, Beirut.
“I did not know they had a basketball there,” Williams said of Beirut.
Asked if he was sure Earl, a former forward from Baton Rouge, La., was actually playing ball in Beirut, the coach joked: “Yes. He’s not in community relations for them. They were off to a 1-3 start.”
Walk-ons Chris Zerbe and Brett Ballard are both on scholarship this year.
“Coach said before the season, ‘If you work hard, stay out of trouble and do everything I ask,’ he’d be happy to put me on scholarship,” said Zerbe, a 6-5 junior out of Hutchinson Community College. “He told Brett (6-0 Hutch CC) the same thing about Nov. 1. If we continue to do what he wants and there are scholarships available, I could get one next year. If there are none available, I’m thankful for this year.”
KU currently has 10 recruited scholarship players on the roster. Zerbe and Ballard hike the total to 12. Teams are allowed 13 on scholarship.
Williams doesn’t scout the opposition until a day or so before the game. Hence he was surprised when a reporter asked him about Washburn center Ewan Auguste (pronounced Aug-eeeste) on Wednesday.
“I have no idea. I thought you were talking about geese that were flying,” Williams quipped. “It was put on my desk today Washburn versus Friends (tape) and I have the Washburn press release. I don’t recognize their players names because I haven’t looked at ’em yet.
“Now he’ll probably get 400 (points) against us. He’s a great player. One of the greatest players I’ve ever seen,” Williams added. “We spent all day yesterday grading Boise. It’s on my desk and I’ll watch the tape tonight.”
