Kansas basketball coach Bill Self says Remy Martin still ailing, ‘operating at 60 or 70%’

Kansas guard Remy Martin (11) drives against Kansas State guard Mike McGuirl (00) during the second half on Saturday, Jan. 22, 2022 at Bramlage Coliseum.

Kansas basketball coach Bill Self said Monday that KU guard Remy Martin was currently operating at 60-70% and that conversations were being had about resting him for longer than portions of games.

“We’re talking about a lot of stuff,” Self said Monday. “But it would probably benefit him to rest. That’s a discussion that he’ll have with the doctors and trainers and everything.”

Still bothered by a bone bruise in his right knee that has limited him since late December, Martin has played sparingly during the nine games since he injured the knee late in a win over Nevada. He is averaging 19.1 minutes per game in Big 12 Conference play and has missed three games entirely.

Self reiterated Monday that Martin’s availability remains a pain issue.

“Same thing that we told you a while back, it’s day to day or week to week or whatever,” Self said. “But all it takes is one little time to get nicked up and (he) goes backwards a little bit.”

The Arizona State transfer and preseason Big 12 player of the year was limited to 14 minutes in last Saturday’s loss to Kentucky and showed signs of the injury slowing him down throughout that time. One possession that Self pointed out came while Martin was guarding Kentucky’s Kellan Grady.

“He’s playing on a leg-and-a-half,” Self said. “Can’t move. … Grady faked one way and went the other way and there’s 20 feet of separation. (Martin) just couldn’t plant and push off and go. He’s trying. And I respect, totally, him trying to be out there. But when you’re taking a third or a quarter of the reps in practice and you’re just trying to get through it, that’s where I feel like he is right now.”

Self said Martin had not done anything new to the aggravate the injury.

“I feel bad for him because he didn’t come here not to play and he certainly didn’t come here not to be 100% when he is,” Self said. “There’s nothing structurally that would prohibit him from being out there, but it is painful for him, to all the doctors’ admission.”

No. 10 Kansas (17-3 overall, 6-1 Big 12) is slated to play at No. 20 Iowa State (16-5, 6-2) at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa.

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