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Cliff Alexander May Return For Kansas Jayhawks Against Oklahoma Sooners

By Joel Wagler

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Cliff Alexander may be returning to the line-up for the Kansas Jayhawks this weekend against the Oklahoma Sooners. Alexander has sat out the past two games as a precaution because the NCAA has evidently been looking into possible eligibility issues.

Michael O’Brien of the Chicago Sun-Times tweeted this afternoon that Alexander may be in the clear.

The Jayhawks have been very tight-lipped on the situation since first announcing Saturday that Alexander would sit out the Texas game.

O’Brien’s tweet, if true, indicates that not only is Alexander going to be good to go in the near future, but that the freshman might also be leaning toward returning for his sophomore season with the Crimson and Blue.

If Cliff Alexander returns next season, the Jayhawks should be one of the favorites going into the season. They very well might be anyway.

Still, having him back now is a huge positive.

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Yes, the Jayhawks have won their two games with Alexander on the bench, but neither victory came easily. Kansas will need Cliff Alexander if they hope to make a deep run in the Big 12 Tournament, as well as the NCAA Tournament.

Alexander is averaging 7.1 points and 5.3 rebounds a game, plus 1.3 blocks, according to ESPN’s team page. While Alexander has battled inconsistency all season, he does offer a degree of physicality to the Jayhawks’ line-up. He is also their best rim protector. His 37 blocks lead the Jayhawks.

The news of Alexander’s possible return this weekend is welcome news indeed. Perry Ellis, Kansas’ leading scorer, injured his knee late in the first half Tuesday against West Virginia and did not return.

KUSports.com is reporting that Ellis probably will not be available Saturday at Oklahoma. According to KUSports.com, Self doesn’t want to rush Ellis unnecessarily.

"Self said it was unlikely that Ellis would play in Saturday’s season finale — 3 p.m. vs. Oklahoma in Norman — and added that the team did not see any reason to rush Ellis back when doctors dubbed his potential return to the lineup in time for the Big 12 tournament “realistic.”"

Of course, with their incredible second half comeback against the Mountaineers, the Kansas Jayhawks locked down the 11th consecutive Big 12 Conference regular season championship. A loss on Tuesday would have meant the Jayhawks had to beat Oklahoma on the road to win the title outright. Now, that game doesn’t have so much riding on it.

Hopefully, Cliff Alexander will indeed will be available Saturday and beyond, with all eligibility questions behind him. The Kansas Jayhawks can concentrate on making a long run in post season.

Next: Ellis Has Been Carrying KU Of Late

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