Kansas isn’t the only team with personnel problems entering Saturday’s showdown with Iowa State in Ames, Iowa.
ISU senior point guard Jamaal Tinsley has been in his hometown of Brooklyn, N.Y., since Sunday, spending time with his grandmother, who suffered a stroke last weekend.
“It’s still up in the air whether Jamaal will or will not play,” ISU coach Larry Eustachy said Thursday. “He feels a real need to be with his grandmother and I would have it no other way. He wants to be here in the worst way, but family is a priority.”
Tipoff is noon at Hilton Coliseum.
Eustachy said the loss of Tinsley (14.2 ppg, 5.8 apg) would be monumental.
“We’ll miss the presence Jamaal brings to the floor. He lives for this type of game,” Eustachy said. “The biggest thing that we would miss is his experience.
“Don’t get me wrong, Jamaal could play, under certain circumstances,” Eustachy added, hoping the player will be back by Saturday.
Meanwhile, ISU senior guard Kantrail Horton (11.3 ppg, 5.5 rpg) has the flu, and is “struggling,” Eustachy said.
“I’ve been told it’s an upper respiratory thing, coughing, etc. We’re beat up, just like anybody this time of year,” the coach added, noting frosh point guard Zach Fortune tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in practice last week and will have surgery Feb. 20.
“We are practicing under the assumption that Drew Gooden will play,” Eustachy said of Gooden, who will miss Saturday’s game with a wrist injury.
“He is a great person and has a great character. He was very cordial to me after our win in Lawrence (79-77 on Feb. 5), and you have to pull for a guy like that.”
Kansas will be without Gooden, Luke Axtell (back) and Mario Kinsey (academics, no longer on team). This means Brett Ballard will be first guard off the bench. Lewis Harrison is the only other guard available besides starters Kirk Hinrich, Jeff Boschee and Kenny Gregory.
“When it rains it pours,” Hinrich said. “It’s going to be tough all the way through. We’re going to be pretty thin, especially in the backcourt. Jeff and I are in good shape. We’re going to have to suck it up.
“Hopefully we won’t get into any foul trouble which would contribute to the problem. I plan on playing 40 minutes hopefully. I want to be out there the whole time.”
