Kansas State's Kamau Stokes (3) is helped off the court after suffering a foot injury during the second half of a game against Georgia State on Dec. 15 at Bramlage Coliseum. Stokes said he's now back to "100 percent" entering Saturday's game at Oklahoma State.
Kansas State's Kamau Stokes (3) is helped off the court after suffering a foot injury during the second half of a game against Georgia State on Dec. 15 at Bramlage Coliseum. Stokes said he's now back to "100 percent" entering Saturday's game at Oklahoma State.
Kamau Stokes, the Wildcats’ senior sharpshooting guard, sat out Wednesday’s 67-47 loss to Texas because of a foot injury, putting him alongside star forward Dean Wade, dealing with a foot injury of his own. Stokes’ game-time scratch came just four days after he led K-State with 20 points in a 59-58 victory over George Mason. Following Wednesday’s defeat, head coach Bruce Weber said the injury dates back far longer than the team's previous game.
Stokes’ left foot, Weber said, was in a boot afterward, and remained that way Sunday and Monday. Stokes shot “a little bit” during Tuesday’s practice. And then he participated in shootaround prior to Wednesday’s tipoff.
Ultimately, Weber said Stokes didn’t think it was in his best interests to suit up.
“He made the decision,” Weber said. “It’s a decision he had to make.”
Stokes, averaging 11.1 points and a team-high 3.3 assists per game, tweaked his left ankle against Georgia State on Dec. 15. But Weber said the injury that forced Stokes to the sideline Wednesday actually stems from a separate left foot injury last season, when he suffered a stress fracture after landing awkwardly in a game at Texas Tech.
“It’s a continuation of that,” Weber said.
The team’s leader in 3-point field goal makes this season with 22, the Wildcats will have to turn elsewhere for perimeter shooting for the time being. Weber said he didn’t know whether Stokes would be able to return to the court Saturday, when K-State heads on the road to face No. 11 Texas Tech.
“Hopefully (I’ll know more) next week,” Weber said. “And the long-term, we’ll have to see where he’s at.”
Above all, Weber said he understood Stokes’ reluctance to play through the injury, avoiding the potential to exacerbate the issue.
“It’s a young man who has had severe injuries, and it’s a tough thing for him,” Weber said. “He wants to make sure that thing heals up, and (I) just hope and pray that he’s able to go.”
Weber didn’t sound optimistic it will be soon.
“Like I said, (I) just hope and pray for his sake that he’s able to finish the season,” Weber said, “and have a great senior year.”
