Kansas University freshman forward David Padgett will miss one to two weeks of basketball because of a slight stress fracture in his left foot.

The 6-foot-11, 230-pound Padgett has been diagnosed with “the early stages of a second metatarsal stress fracture,” meaning rest should take care of the problem and prevent a full-blown stress fracture from breaking out.

The Reno, Nev., rookie definitely will miss Wednesday’s game against Kansas State game (7 p.m., Allen Fieldhouse) and is questionable for Saturday’s game at Texas A&M and a Jan. 22 home game against Richmond.

“We’ll rest him one to two weeks,” KU coach Bill Self said after Friday’s practice in which Padgett rode the stationary bicycle.

“We’ll put him in a walking boot, get him a lot of treatment and hopefully by this time next week he may be able to go, but if not we can put it off until the following week.”

Padgett played just nine minutes because of foul problems in Monday’s win at Colorado.

“David didn’t complain after the Colorado game until yesterday. Yesterday it became pretty sore,” Self said. “They did an MRI today (Friday) and uncovered a stress fracture in very early stages. The good thing is we got it early. Hopefully a very short rest will get him back full speed.”

KU freshman J.R. Giddens needed surgery to repair a stress fracture late this summer.

“J.R.’s was a definite fracture,” Self said. “This is the beginning stages here. We’re nervous it could become one, that’s why we’ll give it some time. Hopefully it’ll be one game, but could be as many as two, three. We’ll put Jeff (Graves) in there and kind of play it by committee with the other (backup) big-guy spot.”

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Stress fractures are common injuries to basketball players. Ex-Jayhawks Scot Pollard and T.J. Pugh, among others, have suffered from the condition.

Wayne Simien and Graves will start at the forward slots Wednesday, with guys like Moulaye Niang, Bryant Nash and Christian Moody backing up.

“I think injuries are a part of it,” Self said. “People deal with it. Good teams that are tough rally around it.”

Coincidentally, Michael Lee, who has missed the past nine games because of a broken collarbone, practiced with contact Friday and is expected to play Wednesday.

“Mike’s looked good,” Self said. “His timing is not great, yet he’s further along than I thought he’d be. There’s not as much rust as I thought.”

Self had hoped Lee’s return would solidify an eight or nine-man rotation.

“We thought we’d be whole by now,” Self said. “We’ve certainly delayed that.”

Padgett, who was unavailable for comment Friday, had a tough Big 12 Conference opener at Boulder, Colo., picking up two quick fouls and sitting most of the first half, then picking up another in the first 20 seconds of the second half.

He’s learned firsthand an unwritten rule in college basketball: Freshmen never get the calls.

“I’m not going to get calls on the road. I’m not going to get calls period because I’m a freshman,” Padgett said. “I’ve just got to realize that and play around it and be smart. It’s a learning process. I figure in a few more years I will not get those fouls called on me. It’ll take time.”

“What they call, they call,” Padgett said. “It’s over with and you move on to the next game.”

Padgett — who scored no points and grabbed four boards in his Big 12 debut — was called for a pushing foul on defense in the opening seconds.

He was tooted for his second foul and took a seat on the bench five minutes into the half after he was called for a foul on what looked like a clean block of a shot hoisted by CU center David Harrison.

“I always thought freshmen and reserves maybe don’t get the same breaks,” Self said. “If you look at David’s first two fouls — one of them was when they (refs) wanted to try and eliminate the rough play early and he bumped a guy when he was crossing the lane.

“The next play was a pretty good block, at least it looked that way, whether it was or not, I don’t know. Now he’s got two (fouls) and he’s sitting out.”

Padgett went up to block a Harrison shot 11 seconds into the second half and was tooted for a foul, earning a seat again.

“The third foul was when they went to David at the start of the second half, and that was half Wayne’s foul because he didn’t double down like he was supposed to,” Self said.

“David did what he was supposed to do, but didn’t get the support of his teammate in that instance. He’s a smart guy and does a good job. As a young player you are going to foul more than when you are a junior and senior usually.”

Self and Padgett aren’t complaining. They understand that’s the way it is.

“If you look at the NBA games it seems to me when Michael walks it’s not called near or as often as if the eighth man gets in and makes a similar play,” Self said, referring to Michael Jordan, who retired after last season. “Same in college to an extent. David will have to earn his way.”

KU’s big men — Jeff Graves also fouled out — did a good job on CU center Harrison, who scored 13 points off 2-of-7 shooting.

“We did have to have our big guys close to Harrison at all times, trying to keep him from posting up in the middle of the lane or under the basket,” Self said. “Naturally when you have that you will have some fouls. If you trap the low post you shouldn’t foul because you have help coming and have to do your work before he catches it.

“We need to do a better job of doing our work before they catch it and force them into help. If they catch it where they want to, then we are at their mercy and David and Jeff can do a better job of that. If you look at the fouls, a lot of them are legitimate but we can avoid a lot of them with better judgment, especially with Jeff.”

Graves said Colorado’s Harrison was a load.

“I think he’s a good player, even better than last year,” Graves said. “He’s more physical than he was a year ago. He’s a big body to guard. I like physical games.”

He doesn’t like games in which he and Padgett foul out, however.

“I was like, ‘Moulaye, don’t foul out,'” Graves said with a grin of sophomore Moulaye Niang, who played 14 minutes, missing his only shot with two rebounds.