Kansas about to get deeper

By Gary Bedore     Dec 13, 2005

Kansas University basketball coach Bill Self soon will have an extra big man and a perimeter player to insert into the rotation.

Rodrick Stewart, a 6-foot-4 sophomore transfer from Southern California, will be eligible for KU’s next game — Monday versus Pepperdine — after sitting out two semesters in accordance with NCAA transfer rules.

Darnell Jackson, a 6-8 sophomore power forward from Midwest City, Okla., will be ready to go Dec. 22 versus Northern Colorado, his NCAA-mandated nine-game suspension to last just one more contest.

“I think Darnell can contribute immediately,” Self said Monday morning on the Big 12 Conference’s first media teleconference of the season.

“He’s the strongest guy on our team. ‘Bruiser’ probably is not a good word, but he is a banger and can put a body on somebody. He gives us five fouls, too. With the way we foul, that’d be a bonus.”

It’s going to be tougher for Stewart to earn minutes, Self explained later on his Hawk Talk radio show.

“Rodrick will get an opportunity, but he will not play as much unless he beats somebody out, which would be the three freshmen (Brandon Rush, Micah Downs, Mario Chalmers) and ‘Hawk’ (Jeff Hawkins) and Russell (Robinson),” Self said. “I doubt we will play six perimeter guys — and look at Stephen (Vinson), who is now playing better than a lot of those guys at different times.

“Rodrick will have to be able to bring something to the table that maybe those guys aren’t bringing. He’s going to have to do something in practice where Darnell has been doing it in practice. He is probably a little bit ahead of Rodrick as far as having an impact right out of the chute.”

Self said Stewart’s energy could be a welcome bonus on the court, but he didn’t want to take too many minutes away from the freshmen, “Because they are growing and learning,” Self said, adding, “There is a sense of stability out there with Hawk and Stephen, no doubt about that, at least with me. He’ll have to do some things. He’s capable of doing them. If he does ’em, our team will be a lot better fast.”

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