Wearing Kansas University basketball jersey No. 42, big Jeff Graves posed for pictures at Thursday’s hoops media day at Allen Fieldhouse.

But, according to coach Roy Williams, Graves did so as an individual, not as a full-fledged player on the team.

“He is not officially a member of our team yet,” Williams said of the 6-foot-9, 280-pound junior college transfer, noting Graves would not play during tonight’s Late Night With Roy Williams midnight scrimmage.

Junior forward Bryant Nash, who is recovering from a broken thumb and will be evaluated by doctors today, also may not play. Senior guard Kirk Hinrich, who has a hip pointer, also may sit out.

“He (Graves) has not passed either of the running tests yet. Probably too much has been said about him. I’ll just leave it at that,” said Williams, who criticized Graves earlier this semester for reporting to campus at a mammoth 293 pounds.

“I don’t like to talk about guys that aren’t on our team. You know Max Falkenstien is not our on team and I don’t like to talk about him, either,” the coach quipped of KU’s radio announcer. “When Jeff officially becomes a member of our team, we’ll talk more about him.”

Graves drew the ire of Williams for reporting out of shape. Graves completed just over five laps in the preseason 12-minute conditioning run at Memorial Stadium; players must complete 61â2 laps to pass.

Then in early September, the Lee’s Summit, Mo., native suffered a concussion in a car accident and has been cleared by doctors only to ride the stationary bike since.

Jeff Graves, right, conducts a mock interview with Moulaye Niang, left, as Stephen Vinson looks on. The KU newcomers were off-limits to the press during Thursday's media day at Naismith Lounge.

“I don’t know,” senior forward Nick Collison said, asked how much he thought Graves could contribute this year if he passes the running tests. “He’s had a tough time since he got here with the car accident, not being able to play (pickup games).

“As of right now, he hasn’t really done anything with our team. Right now he’s done about as much as any other student. He hasn’t been able to, according to the doctors.”

Nobody was happy with Graves reporting to school at 293.

“Coming in the way he came in, it doesn’t make you as encouraged as you could be, is the way I’ll put it,” Collison said. “He’s definitely got a chance to do some things, but he’s going to have to start acting like he wants to do it. It’s kind of hard because the doctors are telling him he can’t do anything for now. It’s like there’s not much you can do.

“He’s got the biggest opportunity in the world. He’s got a chance to come into a team trying to win a national championship, minutes just waiting for him. He’s a big key that we need. To not do everything you could is disappointing. So hopefully he’ll be able to turn it around.

“He played at 255 last year. He came in at 293. Just looking at that, it’s kind of like, ‘How bad do you want it?’ That’s the question. I don’t know. It’s up to him, I guess.”

Nick Collison (4) answers questions during KU's media day.

The Jayhawks are hoping for the best.

“I know he’s hungry,” sophomore forward Wayne Simien said. “I know he’s hurt and he’s been out. He’s taken a lot of abuse from people about not playing and they say he’s out of shape. I know he’s definitely hungry, and I hope he steps up to the challenge.”

“He’s been injured and stuff. Basically we’re waiting until he’s ready,” senior Kirk Hinrich said. “Hopefully it’s soon. I guess we’ll have to wait and see.”

Williams bemoaned the Jayhawks’ lack of depth.

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KU has experienced players in seniors Hinrich and Collison, plus the sophomore group of Simien, Aaron Miles and Keith Langford. The other scholarship players are Nash, Graves, Michael Lee, Jeff Hawkins and Moulaye Niang. Christian Moody and Stephen Vinson are walk-ons. The coach said the team could add a walk-on or two following tryouts, which start Sunday.

Williams said the 6-10 Niang would not red-shirt.

“Moulaye is not a red-shirt candidate. If I red-shirt him, I’ve got to find a way to get C.B. eligible and make him 6-10,” Williams joked about administrative assistant C.B. McGrath, a former 6-foot point guard. “You don’t have to be a nuclear physicist to figure out Moulaye has got to play.”

Williams believes not only is KU not worthy of No. 1 preseason ratings, but believes Texas and Oklahoma, with more returning players, should be ranked ahead of KU in the league.

“I’m just shocked at that,” he said of top billings. “This is not some poor-mouthing by the coach. Usually when we are going to be pretty good I say, ‘Yeah, we are going to be pretty good.’ I never shied away from saying it. Hopefully Bryant Nash, Jeff Hawkins, Michael Lee some guys will be able to step up there and do some things for us.”