Kenny Wooten was blunt when asked on Wednesday what it's like playing in the face-mask he's currently sporting to protect his broken jaw. Wooten told reporters that he "hates wearing it", but that he's making the most of it, as it remains the only thing that allows him to see the court right now.

“I’m probably going to finish out the season with it," he said. "Just for precautions, I guess."

The mask becomes an issue only when opposing players make contact with it, he says, then it slides out of position, impeding his line of sight. It does not provide discomfort, but is hard to get used to, he says.

"I think it improves his looks, but he says it bothers him," head coach Dana Altman joked. "I told him it was going to take a while for it to get used to. But there are no options. The doctor says as long as he wears it, he can play, but if he doesn’t wear it, he can’t play."

Wooten returned to action over the weekend, making his first appearances in the team's road games in Arizona since suffering the injury in the closing minutes of the team's loss to Baylor on Dec. 21. He missed the subsequent four games following surgery on Christmas Eve.

Since the injury did not impact his ability to train or stay in shape, Wooten's return to the court did not come with a minutes restriction similar to what Louis King experienced when he returned from a knee injury. He played 25 minutes in his debut against Arizona, scoring five points to go along with seven boards and few blocks. He played just 14 minutes in the second game, a loss to Arizona State, but missed all but about a minute of the first half after picking up two quick fouls.

“I go out there with the same physicality," he said about his mindset on the court. "If I break it again, then that would just be unfortunate. But I still try to give my all on every single possession and every single play."

The mask is not the only that looks different about the 6-foot-9 sophomore. Since he's been unable to eat hard foods, Wooten cut about 20 pounds in a few weeks following the surgery as his diet was made up entirely of apple sauce.

He's gained about half the weight back, he said, but it's not hard to recognize Wooten's new svelte physique.

“For 17 days after his surgery, he wasn’t lifting and he wasn’t doing anything," Altman said. "And he couldn’t. I think all [weight loss] happened in the first 17 days.

“He did lose a few pounds, but nothing that’s going to hold him back at all."

Wooten has been drinking protein shakes and diversifying his all applesauce diet with the inclusion of mashed potatoes and carefully prepared chicken, Altman said.

“It sucks," Wooten said. "I hate it. You don’t realize how much you use your jaw for talking, sleeping and eating. You use it a lot. When you’re constantly having pain, it’s irritating.

Wooten will make his return in front of a home crowd on Thursday when the Ducks host Washington. It will be his first game at Matthew Knight Arena since Dec. 18 against Florida A&M.

The Huskies are unbeaten in Pac-12 play (5-0 record), and winners of seven straight overall. But Wooten sees opportunity. The Ducks might be just 2-3 in league games this season, but last year's season sweep of the Huskies gives the team confidence. The sweep included a 65-40 home win. The 25-point loss was the worst conference defeat of the season for Washington, and the second-most lopsided loss by the Huskers since Mike Hopkins took over for Lorenzo Romar.

Wooten starred in that game with arguably his best game at Oregon. He scored 12 points, grabbed five rebounds and blocked a career-best seven shots.

“I remember last game here I shot 6-for-7," he said. "So I’m going to try and come with that same intensity, that same mindset and try to have another big game."