Kansas University junior Russell Robinson practiced on Thursday with a deep thigh bruise he suffered at a recent practice. Self said it shouldn’t keep Robinson from playing in Sunday’s 3:30 p.m. battle at South Carolina.

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Resolutions: KU sophomore Brandon Rush says he made a New Year’s resolution: “Mine is to go undefeated in the Big 12.”

Asked if that’d be difficult, he said: “Yes, it’d be difficult. Our league is tough. We have three teams in the top 25 right now (KU, Texas A&M, Oklahoma State). K-State, Missouri and some others are real good, too.”

Any other resolutions? “Win the national championship,” he said.

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Kelly practices: South Carolina senior point guard Tre’ Kelley, who has a sprained knee, took part in an individual workout with coaches Thursday and fared well, according to a USC official. Kelley’s knee will be checked for swelling today.

“He wants badly to play,” South Carolina coach Dave Odom said of Kelley, who averages 16.8 points a game. “He’s convinced me and the doctors that he’s OK. We’ll see.”

“He’s such a competitor I can’t imagine him staying out long unless he has to,” KU coach Bill Self said. “We anticipate him being back.”

Kelley missed USC’s 67-53 victory over Western Carolina on Wednesday. Kelley had started the previous 53 games.

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Big game for SC: KU will be the highest-ranked nonconference team to play in Columbia since No. 7 Syracuse beat the Gamecocks, 77-74, in overtime on Jan. 13, 2000.

“I’ve been doing this a fair amount of years, and I’ve always felt that you have an obligation to your home fans to bring in national powers, nationally recognized, marquee teams,” Odom said Thursday on the SEC coach’s call. “I think you owe that to your fans.”

Winners of six straight games, USC takes a 10-2 record into the game against 12-2 KU.