Published Jan 14, 2022
Remy Martin status unknown for West Virginia game
Shay Wildeboor  •  JayhawkSlant
Editor
Twitter
@JayhawkSlant

During his weekly press conference, Bill Self indicated that Remy Martin didn’t practice yesterday and it’s not known if he’ll practice today.

Remy Martin, the 6-foot-0, 175-pound point guard from Chatsworth, Calif., didn’t participate in practice on Thursday and, as of Friday afternoon, it’s not yet known if he’ll participate in practice later today.

Martin, who transferred in from Arizona State after flirting with the NBA in the offseason, suffered a minor knee injury against Nevada on December 29. He was held out of action the following game against George Mason, but returned against Oklahoma State.

In KU’s loss at Texas Tech on January 8, Martin came off the bench, but logged just 12 minutes. Against Iowa State, Martin, once again, was sidelined and his status for the West Virginia game is unknown.

“I haven’t talked to Remy (Martin) today,” said Self. “I know that he’s still day-to-day or week-to-week, whatever it is. I don’t anticipate Zach (Clemence) playing. Remy did not practice yesterday.”

One player that figures to benefit from Martin being out of action is Bobby Pettiford, the 6-foot-1, 190-pound guard from Durham, N.C. After appearing in just seven games due to an abdominal strain, Pettiford returned to the court against Iowa State on Tuesday night.

Pettiford, in eight minutes of action, didn’t score a single point, didn’t dish out a single assist, and committed two turnovers, but did so with very limited practice time under his belt. Back at practice on a full-time basis, Pettiford, according to Self, has plenty to offer.

“He’s got great balance, low center of gravity, he’s got a good handle, he can get his shoulders past people, and he’s strong,” said Self. “He’s got a good base, he’s strong, and even harder to post, you know, then maybe Jaun (Dajuan Harris) or Remy (Martin) would be, just from physical strength.

“I think that he’s going to be one of the better guards that we’ve had,” he added. “I still feel that way. If he hasn’t been hurt, he would already be showing that. Of course, the other day, it wasn’t fair to him. I put him out there, but Joe (Joseph Yesufu) had a turned ankle and he wasn’t 100 percent, so I went with Bobby. Joe looked good yesterday at practice.

“Bobby has been going full speed,” he continued. “He’s going full speed, but he’s under supervision and watched, but so far, so good.”


Advertisement

It would appear that Bobby Pettiford and Joseph Yesufu will get plenty of opportunities to step in and play an increased role with Remy Martin out of action (that appears to be the case). However, regardless of how the rotation at the guard spot works itself out, Kansas, moving forward, will need David McCormack and Jalen Wilson to be at their very best the rest of the way.

Currently, McCormack is averaging 8.1 points and 5.9 rebounds per game, while Wilson is averaging 6.6 points and 6.0 rebounds per game. Self, on Friday afternoon, was asked what he would like to see from both moving forward?

“Well, you know, I’d just like to see them play with a free mind,” said Self. “I think they’re both tied up and just need to play with a free mind. David was not good yesterday – he was a first-team all-leaguer, but it’s one practice and we’ve got to keep building off of that. I think J-Will has done some really good things. I don’t think he’s strung together consistently the good things that he can potentially do, because he should be a terrific rebounder.

“And he’s not right now,” he added. “That’s what he can do. He’s a good shot maker and he’s shown in practice, but he hasn’t done it consistently. I think he showed the other day that he can also be a good facilitator, which he has done, but probably not consistently. I think J-Will has all of the pieces to put it together. He just hasn’t done them all together at the same time.

“If Jalen Wilson gets 15 rebounds and goes 3-of-5 from three, you know, we’re talking about him being the best player in the game,” he continued. “And he’s gone 3-of-5 from three in a game that he gets two rebounds as opposed to 15. He’s just got to put it together. I’m excited about them both. You know, we’re 13-2 and we’re playing another team that is 13-2 tomorrow on CBS. I’m sure that Huggs feels the same way that I do, in this regard, in that he probably thinks, “You know, we’re 13-2 and we haven’t played our best yet.’ “And I know that I feel the same way. We’re 13-2 and haven’t played our best yet.”

info icon
Embed content not availableManage privacy settings