A black boot covering his badly bruised left ankle, Keith Langford limped into Allen Fieldhouse without the assistance of crutches Tuesday afternoon.

“It’s good, real good,” Langford, Kansas University’s senior guard, said of walking under his own power just two days after severely wrenching his ankle at Missouri. “I was moving slow with those crutches anyway.”

Langford, who spoke to reporters before his fourth ice, massage and bone-stimulator treatment of the day, said motoring without crutches was part of his rehabilitation.

“Bill (Cowgill, trainer) wants me to get used to walking with some discomfort, because I’m going to have to play that way,” said Langford, who expects to play with pain this postseason.

As to when Langford will play … “That’s yet to be determined,” he said. “Hopefully, when barnstorming comes through, I’ll be able to play then. That’s the important thing,” he added of the seniors’ “barnstorming tour” of Kansas.

“Just kidding,” Langford quickly added.

“I want to play the next time the team suits up. I don’t want to watch from the sidelines. It’s my goal. If not, we’ll direct it from there.”

KU is scheduled to play either Kansas State or Texas A&M in a Big 12 Conference tournament quarterfinal at 6 p.m. Friday at Kemper Arena in Kansas City, Mo.

Though he’s not officially been ruled out, the implication Tuesday was Langford likely would sit out this weekend while gearing up for the all-important NCAA Tournament the following week. He hopes to be able to shoot on the side Thursday.

Kansas University men's basketball coach Bill Self speaks during his weekly news conference. Self appeared Tuesday in Hadl Auditorium.

“I visited with Keith today. I don’t think there’s any reason to play Keith unless he’s close to being 100 percent,” KU coach Bill Self said. “Structurally, he’s going to be that. It’s just pain tolerance, knowing if he tweaks it it’ll be painful and he’d have to go through the (rehab) process again. Even though structurally he’s fine, if he isn’t 85 to 90 percent I don’t there’s a chance we play him.

“Hopefully, he’ll be able to, but there’s also probably a better chance he won’t be (playing in Big 12).”

Langford said: “The only thing is I don’t want to play at 60 percent, 70 percent. Keith at 60, 70 percent would not be as good as 90, 100 percent. I don’t want to look terrible and use my ankle as an excuse. I don’t want to say, ‘I didn’t guard my man right because of my ankle.'”

Langford, who said he had told Russell Robinson and Jeff Hawkins “to prepare like I will not be there,” realizes the NCAAs are much more important than the Big 12 tourney.

“I mean in the grand scheme, yes,” Langford said. “But our team hasn’t won a Big 12 tournament championship since I’ve been here. It was a goal. I want to get my team the best chance.”

6Sports video: Langford’s ankle on day-to-day basis Hear Bill: March 8 press conference 2005 Big 12 Tournament bracket Sign up for cell phone updates Sign up for e-mail updates

Self said the team probably would know Langford’s availability “a day in advance. I won’t play him if he can’t practice.”

It is possible Langford could miss the Big 12 quarterfinals and play in either the semis or finals.

“It’s a day-to-day thing,” Self said. “Every extra day he gets will certainly help the cause.”

His teammates are practicing as though Langford will miss the Big 12s.

“From what I understand, I don’t think Keith can play at all this weekend,” senior Michael Lee said. “I think we can (win without him). I’d rather win with him.”

When Langford is cleared to play, he said he would grit his teeth and play hard.

“You have to suck it up, do what you can do, get extra tape, take some pain reliever before the game,” Langford said. “I realize there will be some of that (pain). You can’t get rid of it all that quick.”

¢

Jackson emerging: KU freshman Darnell Jackson, who has played seven or more minutes the past three games, has made great progress of late, Self said.

He can pinpoint the moment the 6-8, 240-pounder began to turn things around.

“One day at practice I told him, ‘I’m proud of you. You’ve got a good attitude with me not playing you. You’ve just got to hang in there, because you are going to be a good player and I haven’t given you a chance to play.’

“He called me on the cell the next day and said, ‘Coach, you are wrong. You have given me a chance to play. I haven’t made the most of it. I’m going to change right now.’ Since we’ve had that conversation, it’s like the light came on, like he said, ‘There’s no free lunches. I have to earn my way.’ He’s been much better in practice, giving great effort, being focused and intense.”

Jackson explained the cell-phone call.

“I called him and said, ‘You gave me a chance, I let it slip away,”’ Jackson said. “I wasn’t pushing myself hard enough. Now coach Jankovich (Tim, assistant) calls me ‘Rocket Man,’ cause I’m working so hard at practice, running and fighting for rebounds, screening the guards.”

¢

Giles not playing much: Self on C.J. Giles, who has played two minutes total the last four games.

“I talked to C.J. today. It’s kind of a fine line. C.J. would probably be starting at Kansas if he was not out six weeks with a stress fracture,” Self said. “It’s nobody’s fault he got hurt. He’s come back and done everything we’ve asked him to do, but when you are practicing three times a week for an hour and 45 minutes, you can’t say, ‘OK guys, we are going to spend the next 30 minutes getting C.J. ready.’ It’s not how it works.

“He needs reps, and there’s not enough time to do it. He is kind of out of luck to be honest. He is going to be a good player, but he’s kind of the odd man out right now because of health. I still think he’ll be a great player at Kansas. His attitude is good and he works hard.”

¢

Top seed possible: KU hasn’t give up hope for a No. 1 seed in the NCAAs.

“We are No. 1 in the country by a large margin in RPI,” Self said. “You look at how we’ve played in the last 10 games, we are certainly not deserving of being in that top seed. We were in perfect position for a number-one seed. Not that it still couldn’t happen. We need a little help and need to perform great probably (this weekend).”

¢

Awards: Wayne Simien on Tuesday was named 2005 United States Basketball Writers Assn. District Six player of the year. KU’s Self was named District Six coach of the year. Keith Langford joined Simien on the 10-person all-district team. … Aaron Miles is a semifinalist for the 2005 Collegiate Basketball Award of Excellence presented by Creamland Dairies, the Albuquerque (N.M.) Convention and Visitors Bureau announced Tuesday. The award honors college seniors for athletic and academic achievement as well as community involvement. The award will be presented April 12 in Albuquerque.