Kansas coach Bill Self had said Udoka Azubuike could be used in an emergency situation in the Jayhawks’ NCAA Tournament opener against Penn.
The alarm was sounded before the under-8 minute timeout Thursday. The 16th-seeded Quakers had led for all of about two minutes, and it was the sight of Azubuike moving toward the scorers’ table that elicited one of the biggest cheers to that point from the pro-KU crowd inside Intrust Bank Arena.
As the Quakers’ lead hit eight points, Self had to call a timeout to get Azubuike in.
Azubuike didn’t make the difference in the Jayhawks’ comeback, playing only three first-half minutes in their 76-60 victory, but his return after missing three Big 12 Tournament games because of a grade-one medial collateral ligament strain in his left knee gives KU a deeper lineup in Saturday’s second-round game against Seton Hall.