Remy Martin ‘playing on a leg and a half’ as KU Jayhawks prepare for game at Iowa State
Kansas super senior Remy Martin has played in the last four games after missing two consecutive contests because of a bone bruise in his right knee.
Yes, he’s been out there — the 6-foot point guard who played four seasons at Arizona State went 14 minutes in Saturday’s 80-62 blowout loss to Kentucky after logging 22 minutes against Texas Tech, 20 against Kansas State and 15 against Oklahoma — but hardly has been a factor in his appearances.
Asked what “he’s seen” from Martin lately, coach Bill Self said Monday: “Not much and it’s only because of health. You guys watched him the other day. He’s playing on a leg and a half. He can’t move.”
Self said Martin “is probably operating at 60, 70% right now,” heading into Tuesday’s game at Iowa State. Tip for the Big 12 game between the Jayhawks (17-3, 6-1) and Cyclones (16-5, 6-2) is 6 p.m. with a live broadcast on ESPN.
“The same thing we told you a while back, it’s day-to-day, week-to-week or whatever,” Self said. “All it takes is one little time for him to get nicked up and it goes backward a little bit, not from a structural standpoint but from a pain standpoint.
“There was one time in the second half (Saturday versus Kentucky) when he was guarding (Kellan) Grady. He faked one way and went the other way and there’s 20-feet separation. He (Martin) couldn’t plant, push off and go. He is trying. I totally respect him trying to be out there but when you are taking one-third or a quarter of the reps in practice and you are just trying to get through, that’s where I feel he is right now. I feel bad for him because he didn’t come here not to play. He certainly didn’t come here not to be 100% when he is (playing).”
Self was asked if there was talk of resting Martin in the near future and asked if he’d play against Iowa State, which defeated Missouri, 67-50, Saturday in a Big 12/SEC Challenge game in Ames, Iowa.
“We are talking about a lot of stuff. It would probably benefit him to rest but that’s a discussion he’ll have with doctors and trainers and everything,” Self said.
The exact injury is a bone bruise, Self said.
“I am not a doctor. I assume that’s what it was before, that’s what it still is,” Self said. “He hasn’t done anything else (to further injure the knee). There’s nothing structurally that would prohibit him from being out there but it is painful for him to all the doctors’ admission.”
Freshman point guard Bobby Pettiford, who played 10 minutes against Kentucky, still isn’t completely recovered from an abdominal strain that has slowed him for several weeks and kept him from playing in 10 games.
“So much of it is health. Even though we’d like to throw him out there I think he is very limited still how much we can throw him out there,” Self said. “He played 10 minutes the other day and really didn’t do a lot. He didn’t do anything bad. It was probably about max what he could go the other day. I don’t think he’s close to 100%. I don’t think we’ll see the real him until he is. He’s a heck of a lot better than he was two weeks ago. He’s trending in the right direction.”
Freshman forward Zach Clemence, who has missed the last six games, remains out with a toe injury
“I’m going to guess at least another week,” Self said of time Clemence will spend on the sidelines.
Self also revealed Monday that senior forward David McCormack (three points, one rebound, 16 minutes versus Kentucky) has had some foot discomfort this season. McCormack had surgery in March to repair a broken bone in his right foot.
“This isn’t an excuse … you guys know Dave isn’t 100% healthy. He’s not going to be 100% healthy all year long with his foot,” Self said. “It’s sore and those sorts of things.”
The Jayhawks will be facing an Iowa State team that is 3-2 (2-2 in the league) since a 62-61 loss to KU on Jan. 11 at Allen Fieldhouse.
That’s the game in which KU’s Dajuan Harris hit a driving layup with 7.1 seconds left to give KU the victory. The Jayhawks, who led by nine points with eight minutes remaining, survived a final possession in which Iowa State’s Gabe Kalscheur missed a three-pointer just before the buzzer.
The Cyclones left Lawrence that night feeling great about their effort.
“It shows we’re capable,” said senior Izaiah Brockington, who scored 17 points and grabbed eight rebounds versus the Jayhawks. For the year the 6-4 guard averages a team-leading 16.8 points and 7.8 rebounds a game. “It shows we’re capable of winning a game like this. We’ve just got to finish it.”
KU realizes Brockington is capable of a huge night on Tuesday.
“He’s going to score because he can get his own shot and elevate,” Self said. “(We have to) make him take hard twos.”
This story was originally published January 31, 2022 at 3:15 PM with the headline "Remy Martin ‘playing on a leg and a half’ as KU Jayhawks prepare for game at Iowa State."
