Udoka Azubuike has been wearing his bulky black left knee brace nearly 24 hours a day since spraining the medial collateral ligament on March 6.
“Pretty much the only time I take it off is when I take a shower,” Azubuike, Kansas’ 7-foot sophomore center from Delta, Nigeria, said Thursday at CenturyLink Center, site of Friday’s NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 game against Clemson.
“The doctor recommended me to sleep in the brace to protect me. It helps my MCL to stay together.”
He’s made steady progress in rehab, and, after playing three minutes in a first-round victory over Penn and 22 in a second-round victory over Seton Hall last week, will start against Clemson, KU coach Bill Self said Thursday.