What is the status of KU basketball freshman Zuby Ejiofor? Bill Self gives injury update

Kansas freshman reserve forward Zuby Ejiofor, who injured his foot during Saturday’s 77-68 victory at Kentucky, will not need surgery, but he will miss “an extended period of time,” coach Bill Self said on Monday’s Hawk Talk radio show.

“Zuby is going to be out for a while. We got a great report today in that it is what they (doctors) thought it was — he has a pretty banged-up foot, a sprained foot,” Self said. “I guess you could say ‘ankle,’ but it’s also the foot area, too.

“He’s going to be be out an extended period of time. Certainly that beats the alternative of having surgery and being out six or seven months.”

Self estimated that Ejiofor “may be out two or three weeks depending on how fast his body can recover.”

Of Ejiofor not needing to undergo surgery on his injured foot, Self said: “That’s great news for Zuby and us.”

Ejiofor, 6-9, 240 from Garland, Texas, averages 1.4 points and 1.9 rebounds in limited duty. He’s played in 19 games, averaging 5.6 minutes per contest for the Jayhawks, who play host to Kansas State at 7 p.m., Tuesday at Allen Fieldhouse.

Meanwhile, senior guard Kevin McCullar, who tweaked his ankle in the win at Kentucky, practiced on Monday and figures to play Tuesday versus K-State, Self indicated on Hawk Talk.

“He practiced today. He’ll be ready to go tomorrow unless something unforeseen happens,” Self said.

KU forward KJ Adams, who was the player guest on Hawk Talk, said McCullar “was everywhere at practice today. He never gets tired. He’s always helping people with assignments they don’t understand. He does everything for us that people might not see.”

Jalen Wilson on Wooden late-season watch list

Kansas senior forward Jalen Wilson has been named one of 20 candidates on the “late season watch list” for the John R. Wooden Award, which goes to college basketball’s top player.

Kansas State’s Keyontae Johnson and Markquis Nowell were among the 20 players on the list as announced Monday by ESPN and the Los Angeles Athletic Club.

Others on the list: North Carolina’s Armando Bacot, Detroit’s Antoine Davis, Memphis’ Kendric Davis, Purdue’s Zach Edey, Duke’s Kyle Filipowski, Indiana’s Trayce Jackson-Davis, UCLA’s Jaime Jaquez, TCU’s Mike Miles, Alabama’s Brandon Miller, Penn State’s Jalen Pickett, Iowa’s Kris Murray, Houston’s Marcus Sasser, N.C. State’s Terquavion Smith, Gonzaga’s Drew Timme, Kentucky’s Oscar Tshiebwe, Arizona’s Azuolas Tubelis and Miami’s Isaiah Wong.

Voting for the 2023 Wooden Award and Wooden Award All-America Team will open prior to the NCAA Tournament with the All-America Team being announced during the Elite Eight round and player of the year award announced following the NCAA Championship in April.