Featured Columnist IVMarch 19, 2024
Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire by way of Getty Photos
The Kansas males’s basketball crew acquired a significant blow to its nationwide championship aspirations on Tuesday, as head coach Invoice Self advised reporters star guard Kevin McCullar Jr. has been dominated out of the NCAA match as a result of a knee harm.
Shreyas Laddha @shre98
Per Self, he hasn’t practiced and the knee ache continues to persist. Self says Elmarko or Nick will play in his place.
He provides that he tried going by means of rehab, however this week it simply did not get any higher. #KUbball
McCullar, a senior, leads the crew with 18.3 factors per sport whereas additionally averaging 6.0 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 1.5 steals.
Self added that Hunter Dickinson “appears nice” after he missed the crew’s loss to Cincinnati within the second spherical of the Large 12 match with a dislocated shoulder, however that McCullar was merely unable to play by means of his knee ache.
CBS Sports activities School Basketball 🏀 @CBSSportsCBB
“Kevin is just not going to play. … He mentioned his knee ache has not subsided any and it is too dangerous for him to have the ability to contribute.”
—Invoice Self on Kevin McCullar lacking the NCAA Match pic.twitter.com/8JUrAAlMy2
The Jayhawks have been already on upset watch after ending the season with 4 losses in 5 video games whereas going simply 7-8 down the stretch after a 15-2 begin. These losses included a 30-point blowout embarrassment towards Houston and the loss to Cincy, with each McCullar and Dickinson out.
With out McCullar, they will seemingly be a stylish choose among the many larger seeds to be upset within the first weekend. And if Dickinson is not near one hundred pc, the percentages solely worsen.
Pat Forde @ByPatForde
Per @JordanGuskey, Kansas coach Invoice Self says Kevin McCullar is out for the NCAA Match. I used to be already pessimistic concerning the Jayhawks, and that is an enormous blow. https://t.co/ZLyVNE1HdS
Jeff Borzello @jeffborzello
Already had Samford over Kansas within the first spherical and McNeese over Samford within the second spherical — no wholesale modifications wanted as a result of Kevin McCullar harm information. https://t.co/wsEDGM2IFB
Dan Wolken @DanWolken
(Kansas wasn’t going far anyway this yr however a loss to Samford could be very a lot in play.)
On a human degree, it is laborious to see a participant like McCullar—who returned to high school for a fifth season to hunt a nationwide championship—lose the possibility to play in a single final tourney.
“How about another yr Jayhawk nation,” he wrote on social media in Might of 2023 when he introduced his return for the 2022-24 marketing campaign. “To have the ability to play in entrance of the perfect followers within the nation; to play for the perfect coach within the nation, I actually imagine we’ve the items to hold one other banner within the Phog. Rock Chalk! Let’s do it!”
Self was thrilled to see him return.
“It is a large day for Kansas basketball,” he mentioned in an announcement on the time. “We have had a number of good issues occur by means of recruiting this offseason, however nothing that has transpired this offseason was greater for KU basketball than having a seasoned veteran like Kevin McCullar return to our program.”
Expectations have been immense for this Kansas crew—the Jayhawks entered the season atop the AP’s preseason top-25 poll. After Tuesday’s information, nonetheless, it does not seem seemingly they will dwell as much as that hype.
