Kansas guard Shakeel Moore (0) looks to fight his way around a pick as he defends against Brown guard Jeremiah Jenkins (2) during the second half on Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024 at Allen Fieldhouse. Photo by Nick Krug

For a player whose coach had declared him “out indefinitely” less than four weeks earlier, Kansas guard Shakeel Moore looked pretty close to healthy on Sunday afternoon.

Even if, as KU coach Bill Self said, Moore did ask to come out at one point, suggesting he might not be in tip-top shape.

Still, the fifth-year transfer from Mississippi State more than doubled his total number of minutes on the season with 14 in KU’s blowout victory over Brown, experiencing his first extended action at Allen Fieldhouse in his fourth overall appearance of the year.

“It was amazing,” forward KJ Adams said. “He’s been battling a lot of injuries. Just to see him look like he’s almost to 100%, it was fun to watch. He’s been doing everything he needs to do treatment-wise, and it’s fun to watch him now get loose a little bit and do the fun things we know he’s capable of.”

Moore broke a bone in his foot during the offseason and then experienced a couple of early-season false starts as he attempted to ease his way into action but struggled with repeated soreness. The veteran from Greensboro, North Carolina, played 10 combined minutes in abortive stints against Oakland (Nov. 16) and UNC Wilmington (Nov. 19), and then, after his condition improved, two more in a sort of prelude to Sunday, against N.C. State on Dec. 14.

Facing off against Brown, he tallied five points, making one floater and missing another while going 3-for-4 from the free-throw line. He also grabbed a rebound with an assist, a steal, two blocks and two turnovers.

“I don’t know what you guys thought, I thought he actually looked aggressive and pretty good out there, and he’s strong, and he’s athletic,” Self said.

As for what his actual role will consist of when he’s at full strength, Self has previously said he expects Moore to serve as the primary backup to point guard Dajuan Harris Jr., although he did briefly play the two together on Sunday.

“I think he’s going to help us,” Self said. “I can see he and Juan maybe playing a little bit together, but I can see us being able to rest Juan more because we have him.”

The hope that Moore can become the Jayhawks’ best on-ball defender — an area in which he excelled earlier in his career, as when he was on a national defensive player of the year watchlist as a junior — is still alive, as KU turns the page to conference play. Meanwhile, on offense, he showed a bit of burst to get to the hoop that he hadn’t had the chance to display much at all in the first two months of the season.

“I think he’s an athlete, and I think he’s strong, and I’m hopeful that he can come off a ball screen and get paint touches and that kind of stuff,” Self said.

Just don’t expect to see Moore (6-foot-1), Harris (6-foot-2) and David Coit (generously listed at 5-foot-11) all on the floor at once, as they were for 45 seconds midway through the second half on Sunday.

Self said that lineup manifested itself “just because,” and in part as a result of Rylan Griffen’s departure for the locker room early in the half due to a hit to his head.