Scott McClurg/Journal-World PhotoKeith Langford slashed into the lane, put up a shot and crashed into Bryant Nash during practice Thursday at Allen Fieldhouse.
Langford, Kansas University’s 6-foot-4 junior guard from Fort Worth, Texas, looked like his old self while playing extremely hard during a three-hour workout.
He didn’t feel completely like his old self, however, because Langford’s right knee still isn’t 100 percent following arthroscopic surgery Sept. 30.
“It’s still sore,” Langford said. “I’m disappointed because it was just a scope and I keep having setbacks. One day I get it hit in practice, and now this happens. It’s just making it set back further and further.”
Langford had a setback Tuesday when a chiropractor’s massage aggravated his knee.
The massage bothered Jayhawk coach Bill Self, who said players would not again receive treatment without approval from KU’s medical staff. Langford was only supposed to receive treatment on his bruised hip.
“It was supposed to be a deep-tissue massage,” Langford said. “The guy I go to helped me with my groin last year. He was like he could help me with my knee. I was fine with that. He hadn’t done me wrong in the past. I got a deep-tissue massage, trying to break up some scar tissue. It was pretty sore.”
Did the massage make it worse?
“It’s why I didn’t play,” Langford said, but quickly added he could have played in Tuesday’s 91-87 exhibition win against EA Sports All-Stars. He was held out as a precaution.
“I definitely would have played,” Langford said. “It (knee) is still not where I need to be. It’s not a comfortable feeling right now.”
Langford was impressed with the Jayhawks’ come-from-behind win against EA Sports, a team Texas Tech waxed, 101-60, Wednesday.
“I was happy we won. It was our first game without Nick (Collison) and Kirk (Hinrich) and I didn’t play. We had five new guys out there, a new coach. It was good,” Langford said.
Langford was surprised at negative media reviews about the game.
“A lot of people exaggerated it,” Langford said. “Stuff like that happens. Guys were jacking up threes and making them (16 to KU’s two). That’s good.
“It means we set a standard for basketball here. We’ve got to live up to that every time we go out there. So I’m glad the fans expect us to win like that.”
Of a fan on the Internet calling Langford a “prima donna” for not playing in the game, the player chuckled and said: “That’s fine by me. I mean they can say what they want to. I find it funny people actually losing sleep over the fact I didn’t play in a basketball game. You taking time out of your day to write on the Internet, that’s your problem, not mine.”
Graves suffered a slight fracture in his nose at practice last week after “colliding with Aaron (Miles).”
“It’s why I’ve got two black eyes right now,” said Graves, who was whacked in the same spot both times. “I feel like I’ve been in a boxing fight.”
Graves said he would wear protective gear on his nose at practice, but not in games.
“I’ve got to get one of those ugly masks,” said Graves, a senior center. “It’s the first time I’ve broken it. It hurts like a bee right now.”
He was asked if his fractured nose would negatively affect his play.
“If anything, I may be more ticked off than I was,” Graves said.
6Sports video: Langford, Simien on preseason list of Naismith Award candidates