After not practicing in the days following Kansas’ loss at Kansas State on Monday night, freshman center Joel Embiid did not play in the Jayhawks’ 95-65 win over TCU on Saturday afternoon. With Embiid being a key figure for Kansas, the time off could prove beneficial down the line as the Jayhawks need their big man to be healthy in order to make a run at a national title.
On Sunday Embiid returned to practice, and according to multiple outlets he’s on track to return to game action when the Jayhawks visit Texas Tech on Tuesday night. According to Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com, Self stated that Embiid “should play on Tuesday.”
Without Embiid senior Tarik Black moved into the starting lineup and accounted for seven points and one rebound in nine minutes of action, with foul trouble plaguing the Memphis transfer. The star of Saturday’s decisive victory was Perry Ellis, who finished the game with 32 points (13-for-15 FG), eight rebounds and five assists.
Ellis, averaging 14.0 points and 6.9 rebounds per game this season, has averaged 17.3 points and 7.0 rebounds over the last six games for the Jayhawks. Ellis has been one of the Big 12’s most improved players this season, but it can be argued that his progression’s been overlooked in some circles due to the presence of Kansas’ highly-regarded freshmen.