Gary Bedore's KU basketball notebook / LJWorld.com

Archive for Tuesday, October 23, 2007

October 23, 2007

Aldrich season's likely star

6'11" freshman Cole Aldrich is eager for the Jayhawk basketball season to start. The Jayhawks open the exhibition season on November 1 against Pittsburg State. Enlarge video

Full speed ahead for Rush

Brandon Rush has cleared another hurdle in his comeback from right ACL surgery.

"Brandon has been checked out (by medical staff) and released to where he can practice full speed, no contact," Kansas University basketball coach Bill Self said Monday. In other words, the 6-foot-6 junior from Kansas City, Mo., can do everything his teammates can do at practice - except get bumped - close to five months after his June 1 surgery.

"It will be that way awhile to make sure he advances to the point where he can have contact. It's everything but no contact," Self stressed.

"He obviously is not close to being ready to play, but we were certainly hoping this would be the case after being checked out. Brandon is doing very well. He had a very good week of practice."

There has been no change in the timetable for playing in games - Dec. 1 or a month on either side.

Roster to stay at 17

Self indicated Monday the Jayhawks would not add any players following Sunday's walk-on tryouts.

"Unless something happens injury-wise where we need practice guys, we will stick with the guys we have," Self said. "It is a difficult year to make it, because of the number of guys we have on the roster (17 players, including five walk-ons). The (16) guys who tried out were in good shape. They did a good job. But unless something unforeseen happens, we will not add any more players."

Joseph on radar

Devoe Joseph, a 6-2 senior guard from Pickering High in Ontario, Canada, is expecting a visit from Self today. Joseph, who averaged 27 points a game his junior year, told Rivals.com he will visit KU on Nov. 2 and also make trips to Minnesota, Vanderbilt and Virginia Tech.

Status quo

Marcus and Markieff Morris, 6-8 and 6-9 forwards from Philadelphia, told Rivals.com on Monday they will visit Villanova this weekend and choose either KU or Villanova sometime following the trip. ... Quintrell Thomas, 6-8 forward from Elizabeth, N.J., still is pondering finalists, KU, Rutgers and UNLV.

Junior likes KU

Lance Stephenson, a 6-5 junior from Brooklyn, N.Y., tells Adam Zagoria of the Herald News in West Paterson, N.J., he will attend the KU-Arizona game on Nov. 25 at Allen Fieldhouse as part of an unofficial visit. He's considering KU, Seton Hall, North Carolina, USC, Memphis, Indiana and others.