Kansas loses Vick to leave of absence

LAWRENCE, Kan. — Kansas guard Lagerald Vick is taking a leave of absence, leaving the No. 13 Jayhawks even more short-handed as they face an uphill climb to a 15th straight Big 12 title.

Jayhawks coach Bill Self said in a statement Thursday night that Vick has “some personal matters that require his immediate attention.” Self said there's no timetable for his return.

The Jayhawks are 17-6 and 6-4 in the Big 12, leaving them 11⁄2 games behind Kansas State.

“He has some things going on that (aren't) public things,” Self said during his weekly radio show Thursday night, “so I think that he hasn't been his best because of those things.”

Kansas, the nation's preseason No. 1, already is without three players that Self expected to be key pieces of a march to a second straight Final Four. Center Udoka Azubuike was lost for the season to wrist surgery, power forward Silvio De Sousa was declared ineligible by the NCAA and top defensive stopper Marcus Garrett is out with a sprained ankle.

The depth problems, even before Garrett's injury and Vick's departure, led Self to lift freshman guard Ochai Agbaji's redshirt midway through the season. He's been one of their best players since.

“Not being totally negative at all, he has some things going on that (aren't) public things, so I think that he hasn't been his best because of those things,” Self said on Hawk Talk, not revealing anything that possibly is wrong with Vick or his family members.

The mercurial Vick, who has appeared in 117 games for the Jayhawks, decided to turn pro last year before changing his mind and returning to Kansas for his senior year. He's started 20 of 23 games this season, averaging 14.1 points and four rebounds while providing a young backcourt with veteran leadership.

But he's been at odds with Self throughout his career, his on-and-off performance often mirroring his leadership and teamwork. At his best, Vick is a high-energy 3-point threat; at his worst, a defensive liability.