Featured Columnist IVMarch 19, 2024
Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire through Getty Photographs
The Kansas males’s basketball staff obtained a serious 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 event as a consequence 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 staff with 18.3 factors per sport whereas additionally averaging 6.0 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 1.5 steals.
Self added that Hunter Dickinson “seems to be nice” after he missed the staff’s loss to Cincinnati within the second spherical of the Massive 12 event 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 stated his knee ache has not subsided any and it is too unhealthy for him to have the ability to contribute.”
—Invoice Self on Kevin McCullar lacking the NCAA Match pic.twitter.com/8JUrAAlMy2
The Jayhawks had 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 in opposition to Houston and the loss to Cincy, with each McCullar and Dickinson out.
With out McCullar, they’re going to probably be a classy choose among the many larger seeds to be upset within the first weekend. And if Dickinson is not near one hundred pc, the chances 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 in regards to the Jayhawks, and that is a giant 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 12 months 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 highschool for a fifth season to hunt a nationwide championship—lose the possibility to play in a single final tourney.
“How about yet one more 12 months Jayhawk nation,” he wrote on social media in Could of 2023 when he introduced his return for the 2022-24 marketing campaign. “To have the ability to play in entrance of the most effective followers within the nation; to play for the most effective coach within the nation, I actually imagine now we have 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 stated in a press release on the time. “We have had numerous 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 had been immense for this Kansas staff—the Jayhawks entered the season atop the AP’s preseason top-25 poll. After Tuesday’s information, nevertheless, it would not seem probably they’re going to dwell as much as that hype.
