Mike Gunnoe/Special to the Journal-World
Kansas guard Elmarko Jackson holds his knee after suffering an injury during a scrimmage at Horejsi Family Volleyball Arena in Lawrence Kansas Tuesday, June 4, 2024.
An apparent injury to guard Elmarko Jackson brought an abrupt end to Kansas’ scrimmage Tuesday afternoon at the Bill Self Basketball Camp, putting a damper on the summer debut of the new-look KU basketball roster.
Jackson went down hard to the ground after getting hit on his way to the rim. The Jayhawks’ trainers took a look at him for several minutes, attending to his lower leg, before head coach Bill Self told the gathered crowd of campers, “Elmarko’s going to be fine,” said that Jackson’s affected area had been immobilized as a precautionary measure and then concluded the scrimmage.
Jackson soon walked off the Horejsi Family Volleyball Arena court, flanked by the Jayhawks’ training staff.
“I saw the fall, but I didn’t really see what happened because I was on the bench,” center Hunter Dickinson said. “But it was good to see him being able to walk it off on his own … Hoping for the best, not sure, but we got a really good training staff that’ll get him back as soon as he can.”
The hit to Jackson, who is looking to take a leap forward after an up-and-down freshman campaign in Lawrence, cut short a scrimmage that was originally intended to be played to 60 with the score, unofficially, at 46-38 in favor of Jackson’s blue team.
Incoming freshmen Flory Bidunga and Rakease Passmore had stolen the show for the blue team for much of the afternoon. Bidunga went after All-American center Hunter Dickinson to score his team’s first six points (of eight total), and after a sluggish outside shooting start, Passmore picked up the slack with four 3-pointers and a game-high 16 points.
Dickinson, who led the red team with 10 points, had praise for both young teammates.
“He was playing,” Dickinson said of Passmore. “He was balling out there. The coaches were talking about it. He was definitely hooping, taking advantage of the opportunity.”
And of the young center Bidunga, Dickinson said he was “going to try to teach him everything I know, try to help him out in any way I can, and try to make sure he maximizes his potential.”
Bidunga, new to Lawrence after several years in Kokomo, Indiana, and his upbringing in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, said he was eager to learn from Self.
“I’m enjoying doing it,” Bidunga said. “Best coach for me, one of the best coaches in the league. I’m really glad to play for him and just have him develop me to the next level.”
One open question for Self is exactly how Bidunga, “probably as good of a prospect as we have,” will fit from a positional standpoint.
“We got to figure out who he is and how he impacts us and what he can do to help,” Self said on Monday in Topeka. “Because he’s really not tall — 6-7, 6-7 and a half — but he’s a terrific, freakish type (of) athlete that can change directions, that can jump, that can put pressure on the rim. He can do a lot of things. But can he play with Hunter, or how does it work?”
Bidunga, for his part, said on Tuesday that his positional fit depends on how much work he puts in, and how much work he’s given, but “let’s see how that goes.”
Besides Passmore’s potent all-around scoring, other highlights of Tuesday’s scrimmage included two 3-pointers each from Alabama transfer Rylan Griffen and former manager Patrick Cassidy for the red team, as well as a fierce transition dunk by Jackson.
Wisconsin transfer AJ Storr scored nine points, including a dunk, pair of layups and 3-pointer, for the red team. Jamari McDowell looked sharp on offense and hit two 3-pointers of his own, matching Bidunga’s eight points for the blue squad.
KU’s entire roster scored except for South Dakota State transfer Zeke Mayo and freshman walk-on Will Thengvall.
Former Jayhawks Christian Braun (now of the Denver Nuggets) and Tyon Grant-Foster (now at Grand Canyon) were in attendance.
Mike Gunnoe/Special to the Journal-WorldKansas transfer Zeke Mayo talks to the crowd during a scrimmage at Horejsi Family Volleyball Arena in Lawrence Kansas Tuesday, June 4, 2024.
Mike Gunnoe/Special to the Journal-WorldKansas head coach Bill Self address the crowd during a scrimmage at Horejsi Family Volleyball Arena in Lawrence Kansas Tuesday, June 4, 2024.
Mike Gunnoe/Special to the Journal-WorldKansas guard Patrick Cassidy fires a 3-pointer during a scrimmage at Horejsi Family Volleyball Arena in Lawrence on Tuesday, June 4, 2024.
Mike Gunnoe/Special to the Journal-WorldKansas transfer AJ Storr dunks the ball during a scrimmage at Horejsi Family Volleyball Arena in Lawrence on Tuesday, June 4, 2024.
Mike Gunnoe/Special to the Journal-WorldKansas transfer Rylan Griffen passes the ball to a teammate during a scrimmage at Horejsi Family Volleyball Arena in Lawrence on Tuesday, June 4, 2024.
Mike Gunnoe/Special to the Journal-WorldKansas transfer Rylan Griffen drives to the basket during a scrimmage at Horejsi Family Volleyball Arena in Lawrence on Tuesday, June 4, 2024.
Mike Gunnoe/Special to the Journal-WorldKansas guard Dajuan Harris Jr. drives to the basket during a scrimmage at Horejsi Family Volleyball Arena in Lawrence on Tuesday, June 4, 2024.
Mike Gunnoe/Special to the Journal-WorldKansas center Hunter Dickinson goes up for a layup during a scrimmage at Horejsi Family Volleyball Arena in Lawrence on Tuesday, June 4, 2024.
Mike Gunnoe/Special to the Journal-WorldKansas transfer AJ Storr goes up for a reverse layup during a scrimmage at Horejsi Family Volleyball Arena in Lawrence on Tuesday, June 4, 2024.
Mike Gunnoe/Special to the Journal-WorldKansas assistant coach Norm Roberts talks with former player Christian Braun during a scrimmage at Horejsi Family Volleyball Arena in Lawrence on Tuesday, June 4, 2024.
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Written By Henry Greenstein