Kansas University junior Keith Langford will miss 2-3 weeks of basketball pick-up games after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his right knee Tuesday.
Langford, a 6-foot-4, 210-pound shooting guard from Fort Worth, Texas, complained of soreness in the knee last week. He had an MRI taken Monday, which revealed slight cartilage damage.
Surgery was performed Tuesday night by Dr. Jeff Randall at Lawrence Surgery Center. Langford is already walking without crutches and should be riding a stationary bike perhaps as early as today.
“The MRI showed a very, very slight tear that could easily be fixed,” KU coach Bill Self said Wednesday. “It’s something where he could have gone without it. But the doctors and everybody involved all felt it best to go ahead, let’s fix it and don’t take the chance (it might linger).
“Keith, his mother and the medical staff got together and decided to repair it now instead of having it be a nuisance throughout the season.”
There is a good chance Langford will be 100 percent by the season-opening “Late Night in the Phog” scrimmage Oct. 17.
“Absolutely,” Self said, “but I won’t guarantee that. We will not bring him back quick, but our goal is to bring him back for the start of practice.”
Langford had similar surgery on his left knee March 27, 2001. He recovered from that surgery in 2-3 weeks.
“I am disappointed Keith will miss conditioning from the standpoint he’ll be behind,” Self said, “but we’d much rather deal with it now, a two-to-three week ordeal, than have it linger the majority of the season.”
The 40-year-old Self is amazed at how quickly players recover from arthroscopic surgery nowadays, compared to when he played.
“Gosh, for sure,” he said. “You could say the surgery is minor, but like they say, it’s only minor if it’s somebody else. This is the type of deal where he’s already starting extensive rehab today.”
Freshman guard J.R. Giddens has been hobbled a bit this week by a sprained ankle. The 6-6 Oklahoma City native has taken part in conditioning and drills.
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