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KU center Udoka Azubuike to miss Big 12 Tournament due to injury

Bill Self says Azubuike sprained his medial collateral ligament

KU center Udoka Azubuike to miss Big 12 Tournament due to injury

Bill Self says Azubuike sprained his medial collateral ligament

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KU center Udoka Azubuike to miss Big 12 Tournament due to injury

Bill Self says Azubuike sprained his medial collateral ligament

Kansas basketball coach Bill Self said Udoka Azubuike will not play in the Big 12 Tournament after spraining the collateral ligament in his left knee during practice Monday.“In practice yesterday, Udoka sprained his medial collateral ligament in his left knee during a scrimmage situation,” Self said. “It is isolated. It is a grade one sprain. We will hold him out this weekend in Kansas City, and he will be re-evaluated Sunday and our expectation is that he’ll be back on the court next week.” Azubuike, a 7-foot center from Delta, Nigeria, is a starter for the Jayhawks and one of KU’s few frontcourt threats. He averages 13.7 points, 7.1 rebounds and 24.3 minutes a game. In the last five games of Big 12 play, Azubuike averaged 13 points, including 20 in a win against Texas and 21 in a win over top-25 West Virginia. His injury means Mitch Lightfoot, a 6-8 sophomore, and Silvio De Sousa, a freshman, will have to carry a bigger load – both on offense and defense – for the Jayhawks. Lightfoot averages only 3.7 points and has only cracked double digits twice this season. De Sousa is starting to make an impact after sitting out much of the season before being cleared by the NCAA to play in January.Doak was spotted at KU's practice Wednesday afternoon walking with a limp.

Kansas basketball coach Bill Self said Udoka Azubuike will not play in the Big 12 Tournament after spraining the collateral ligament in his left knee during practice Monday.

“In practice yesterday, Udoka sprained his medial collateral ligament in his left knee during a scrimmage situation,” Self said. “It is isolated. It is a grade one sprain. We will hold him out this weekend in Kansas City, and he will be re-evaluated Sunday and our expectation is that he’ll be back on the court next week.”

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Azubuike, a 7-foot center from Delta, Nigeria, is a starter for the Jayhawks and one of KU’s few frontcourt threats. He averages 13.7 points, 7.1 rebounds and 24.3 minutes a game. In the last five games of Big 12 play, Azubuike averaged 13 points, including 20 in a win against Texas and 21 in a win over top-25 West Virginia.

His injury means Mitch Lightfoot, a 6-8 sophomore, and Silvio De Sousa, a freshman, will have to carry a bigger load – both on offense and defense – for the Jayhawks. Lightfoot averages only 3.7 points and has only cracked double digits twice this season. De Sousa is starting to make an impact after sitting out much of the season before being cleared by the NCAA to play in January.

Doak was spotted at KU's practice Wednesday afternoon walking with a limp.

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