Bent on recovery Rush and Arthur work toward next season

LAWRENCE - These are milestone days for Kansas basketball's recovering wounded, Brandon Rush and Darrell Arthur.

Earlier this week, Brandon Rush began running and both he and Arthur began individual workouts. Arthur will make a quick advance to playing in pickup games Tuesday.

"Looking good, looking good," said Brandon Rush, who underwent surgery June 1 to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee.

But not so good that doctors and trainers are ready to push up his date to play his first games this season. His return still sits somewhere in a 60-day window.

"November 1st, December 1st, January 1st," the junior guard said. "Whenever it feels right."

As for Arthur, who learned July 6 he had a stress fracture in his left leg, the 6-foot-9 sophomore will be full go long before the season starts.

"I'm 100 percent," he said. "I'm ready to get out there. I still get a little winded, but I'm trying to get caught up."

Brandon Rush is now three months and counting into his rehab work. Arthur, who didn't require surgery, has hit the six-week mark and is winding down.

Workouts come in bunches, usually three times a day. Weights, treadmill in a pool, stationary bike, stretching and so on.

"They've both been really good at complying with what they need to get done," said Andrea Hudy, KU's associate director of strength and conditioning who oversees their work in the weight room.

The individual workouts Brandon Rush began this week include shooting and dribbling, the latter being an area he had targeted to improve in the offseason.

"I'm getting my hands right," he said.

Arthur's game was progressing so well this summer that he not only made the USA Basketball's Under-19 Select team but was chosen a captain.

He was playing in pre-tournament games in the Dallas area when the injury was discovered. The team went on to finish second without him at the World Championships in Serbia.

"I was doing pretty well, but I'm glad nothing worse happened," Arthur said. "If I'd landed wrong, it could have possibly broken.

"This is the first time I've had a real injury. It was an eye opener. The doctors made it sound like I'd be out three months, but it's healed pretty quickly."

Brandon Rush had heard all the horror stories about recovering from ACL surgery. Even from his older brother, JaRon Rush, who also underwent the procedure.

"It scared me," Brandon Rush said. "I heard it was painful. I've been through it for three months now, and it's not painful at all. Nothing I can't handle. Maybe I have a high pain threshold."

It also scared him the day he hurt his knee, May 23, while making a routine, two-handed dunk in a pickup game. Less than a week before he was to attend the NBA camp in Orlando.

Now, he's just trying to get his game back up to speed so he can undoubtedly make another try at leaving school early for the pros.

Like Arthur, this was Brandon Rush's first significant injury.

"It makes you stop and think," he said. "You could get hurt and lose all this. I keep that in mind, and it makes me work even harder."