Kansas University basketball newcomer Jeff Graves has missed a second straight week of school as he recovers from a concussion he suffered in an automobile accident Sept. 8.

The 6-foot-9, 280-pound junior forward from Lee’s Summit, Mo., and Iowa Western CC, has experienced dizziness, plus shoulder, back and neck spasms and headaches the past two weeks ever since he was a passenger in the front seat of a car that hit a median on I-435 near Front Street in Kansas City.

Graves mostly has been resting during the day, except for daily trips to therapy.

His mother, Sharon, who is a nurse at Lee’s Summit Hospital and teacher at the hospital’s nursing school, said her son’s primary physician said the good news was Graves likely would be able to return to classes at KU on Monday.

“He is doing a lot better,” Sharon Graves said Thursday.

“With a concussion, you can’t rush things. He was bumped around pretty good in the car. Anybody who has been in an accident can tell you you tense up and your muscles are kind of frozen. After the fact, the muscles need to be relaxed, whether with heat, medication.

“He’ll undergo the therapy another four to six weeks. I do believe he’ll be OK for the season. I do believe he’ll play. We just have to be patient,” Sharon added, noting she did not believe her son would need to red-shirt his first year at KU.

“He doesn’t like having to sit around at home. He wants to be at school. Nobody likes the role of being dependent on others. He’s getting better, should be back at KU Monday and then KU’s guys (physicians) will look after him and make sure he doesn’t rush things.”

Graves, who is enrolled in 12 hours of classes per Big 12 newcomer rules,needs to pass eight hours of coursework first semester to be eligible second semester. If unable to pass the eight hours because of medical reasons, Graves would be able to appeal to the league office.

Missing more than two weeks of class would have made passing eight hours somewhat improbable.

“To miss two weeks is real tough,” said Wayne Walden, KU’s director of career counseling, student support services. “Teachers definitely understand about a medical situation. We’ve been in contact with his teachers. There’s not much he can be doing right now at home except recuperating.”

A friend of Graves was driving a car that hit the grassy median off I-435, then hit a barricade that prevents cars from heading into traffic in the opposite direction. The car didn’t flip, but was totaled. Graves, who was wearing a seat belt, actually wound up in the back seat of the car from the front passenger seat after the belt snapped. He was treated and released from North Kansas City Hospital with his concussion. The driver was not injured. A passenger in the back seat also had a concussion.

Jeff Graves’ brother, Robbie, will not try to walk on KU’s team this season. Robbie, a former player at UMKC, did not qualify for admission to KU. He broke his hand playing ball during the summer and was unable to finish academic work at a junior college to qualify at KU.

Brian Butch, a 6-11, 215-pound high school center from Appleton, Wis., today begins his recruiting trip to KU. Butch has a final five of KU, North Carolina, Arizona, Wisconsin and Marquette. Butch averaged 21.0 points and 12.0 boards last season.