Sophomore Devonte' Graham has scored in double figures during the majority of the Jayhawks' games this season, but the guard said Friday at the KFC Yum! Center that it wasn't just Maryland limiting him in the Sweet 16.
Graham, who went 0 of 2 from the field and committed five turnovers in Kansas' victory over the Terrapins, suffered cramping in his legs and back throughout the second half.
"My trainer had told me that before the game that he thought I didn’t eat enough," Graham said. "That could have been a reason why I started cramping.”
He continued fighting, however, and logged 37 minutes in a 79-63 victory. A nation-leading 17th straight win vaulted the Jayhawks to an Elite Eight matchup Saturday with Villanova in Louisville.
This morning they monitored what I was eating, made sure I got a lot of carbs and calories in me," said Graham, who averages 11.2 points per game, fourth on coach Bill Self's team. "I’ve been drinking these little shakes, and I took some pills this morning and last night just to kind of relax my muscles so they wouldn’t be too sore this morning from all the cramping.”
Self expects to have Graham healthy with a trip to Final Four up for grabs. He won't likely have available junior guard Brannen Greene, who missed the Maryland game due to back spasms.
"I've suspected he wouldn't be very effective," Self said.
The coach noticed in early-round games that when Greene turned, he winced. After Greene's nine minutes on the floor in a Round of 32 win over UConn, Self pulled the plug on a particularly painful play.
"There was a shot, and a rebound came to his man, and he just reached out and grabbed him – just reached out and grabbed him with the ball intentionally," Self remembered. "I said, 'What are you doing?' He said, 'Coach, I can't move.'"
"We'll check him out again," the coach added, "but I don't think he'll be available to us."
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