Kansas basketball: Wayne Selden ready for healthy 2018

Former Kansas basketball standout Wayne Selden is back from injury. The 6-foot-5 guard is already making an impact for the Memphis Grizzlies.

The new year is off to a great start for Wayne Selden. The former Kansas basketball standout had a difficult couple of months due to right quadriceps tendinopathy, according to the Grizzlies web site. He missed 21-games recovering from that thigh muscle injury and appears better than ever.

In his first game back on New Year’s Eve, Selden scored 10 points in almost 17 minutes of action. The game featured some faces familiar to Selden. The Grizzlies played and lost the game to Sacramento featuring former Jayhawk teammate Frank Mason. Selden also had the chance to see Mason’s teammate Buddy Hield.

Maybe Selden and Mason had the chance to tease Hield about wins over OU? Maybe Hield reminded them the Sooners have a good team this season? Mason had 6 points in just less than 5 minutes of action for the Kings and Hield scored 15 points. Selden hit 3 of 7 field goals in that Sacramento game and was 1-4 from beyond the arc.

Memphis coach J.B. Bickerstaff told the Associated Press they were watching Selden’s minutes until he gets back in top shape.

"He’s a versatile player. He can be really good defensively. He’s athletic, he’s strong."

Heading down the west coast, Selden scored 13 points in 14 minutes on Tuesday against the Clippers in a 113 to 105 loss in Los Angeles. After the game Clipper star Blake Griffin had great things to say about Selden. “He’s a big factor and a tremendous player. He really changes the dynamics of their team,” according to the Grizzlies web site.

Next: Reason to smile following loss to Texas Tech

Selden’s teammate and Jayhawk fan favorite Mario Chalmers led Memphis with 15 points in 25 minutes off the bench. Selden, Chalmers and former Jayhawk Ben McLemore return to action Friday against a pair of former Jayhawks Markieff Morris, Kelly Oubre and the Wizards in Washington.