Heytvelt’s return takes longer than expected

It appears the timetable for Gonzaga University basketball forward Josh Heytvelt’s return to practice will be pushed back.

Heytvelt, who has a hot spot in his right foot that is being called a stress reaction, has been cleared to do some jogging on a treadmill, coach Mark Few said.

“I haven’t heard anything about when he’ll be released full time,” Few said. “He’s just getting cleared for the treadmill, so we’re probably looking at a couple weeks.”

Heytvelt was originally expected to miss 7-10 days. Heytvelt, who was reinstated to the team last Friday after an eight-month suspension, said at the time he has a “bone that’s a little mad at me right now.”

Few isn’t worried about Heytvelt or senior forward David Pendergraft, who typically practices for about an hour before resting his surgically repaired knee. Pendergraft was expected to be cleared Wednesday to extend his participation in practice. Both players are upperclassmen well versed in GU’s offensive and defensive systems.

Few said Theo Davis, who was also reinstated last Friday, and Larry Gurganious, who sat out last season with a back injury, are off to good starts. Davis redshirted last season after having shoulder surgery.

“I think it hurts him once in a while, but the best thing he does is he thrashes around inside and rebounds pretty well, and he can score it around the basket,” Few said of Davis.

Kinder calendar

A year ago forward Abdullahi Kuso was experiencing his first official GU practices and observing Ramadan, the Islamic holy month that includes daytime fasting.

“I needed to be mentally focused,” he said. “It was my first year here and I felt like I was learning a ton of stuff every day. I was mentally and physically exhausted.”

GU coaches did what they could to accommodate Kuso by altering some practice times. That hasn’t been necessary this season as the timing of Ramadan didn’t conflict with the Bulldogs’ schedule.

Kuso said he took numerous vitamins and drank plenty of fluids to help his body meet the demands of preseason conditioning and workouts.

First impressions

Few has been impressed with the effort he’s seen at practice. The team took Tuesday off and resumed practice Wednesday.

“They’ve done a nice job with their energy and playing hard,” he said. “It’s been a typical first week, but they’ve been pretty intense. Nobody is really separating themselves yet.”

The benefits of GU’s conditioning program have been evident in numerous players, said Few, mentioning Jeremy Pargo, Matt Bouldin and 7-foot-4 center Will Foster.

Forward Ira Brown, a powerfully built junior-college transfer who is listed at 6-4 and 235 pounds, is “off the charts with the weightlifting,” Few said. “He just has to adjust to learning all of our sets and the things we do.”