Kansas Men's Basketball's Mario Little Has Surgery on Leg to Facilitate Healing

April 18, 2009

LAWRENCE, Kan. – Kansas men’s basketball coach Bill Self announced that guard Mario Little had surgery Thursday to facilitate the healing process from an ongoing stress fracture on his lower left leg.

According to Self, the senior-to-be Little had a rod inserted into his leg which had bothered Little throughout the 2008-09 season. A junior college transfer from Chipola (Fla.) College, Little participated in KU’s three-game tour of Canada over Labor Day weekend of 2008, then did not compete until early January due to the stress injury to his leg and a broken hand suffered in December.

“The doctors inserted a rod into his left leg which was healing fine,” Self said. “The rod was put in to facilitate the healing process. The injured area is in the part of the leg that takes most of the load when you land from running and jumping. We are hopeful Mario will be fully healed by June.”

Little, from Chicago, appeared in 23 games for Kansas in 2008-09 and averaged 4.7 points and 3.2 rebounds in only 12.7 minutes per game.