Kansas men’s basketball head coach Invoice Self shut down any hope that Kevin McCullar Jr. would recuperate in time for the NCAA Match on Tuesday, telling reporters on Tuesday that the fifth-year participant will miss the whole lot of the match due to a knee damage.
McCullar, who spent three seasons at Texas Tech earlier than transferring to Kansas final season, has missed six of the Jayhawks’ last 12 video games of the season due to a bone bruise.
Kevin McCullar Jr., #15 of the Kansas Jayhawks, shoots a free throw in opposition to the West Virginia Mountaineers at WVU Coliseum on Jan. 20, 2024 in Morgantown, West Virginia. (G Fiume/Getty Photographs)
Self informed reporters that McCullar tried to play on the damage however stated “he just couldn’t go.”
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“Kevin’s not gonna play,” Self stated. “Kevin says his knee pain has not subsided any, and it’s too bad for him to be able to contribute. So Kevin will not play.”
The coach additional clarified that the damage would preserve McCullar out for the rest of the tournament – not simply the primary spherical.
“We’re shutting him down for the tournament. If we’re fortunate enough to win two games we’ll have done it without him. He hasn’t practiced in six weeks, basically.”
Kevin McCullar Jr., #15 of the Kansas Jayhawks, dribbles the ball in opposition to stress from Cam Carter, #5 of the Kansas State Wildcats, within the first half at Bramlage Coliseum on Feb. 5, 2024 in Manhattan, Kansas. (Peter G. Aiken/Getty Photographs)
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McCullar, who was voted an honorable-mention All-American earlier Tuesday, returned for his fifth season and was averaging 18.3 factors earlier than sustaining an damage. Self stated Tuesday that he’s touring with the staff.
“Kevin’s with the team. I mean, heck, he tried and we know he tried and was going through rehab, and it just didn’t get any better. The other weeks, it progressively got a little bit better. And this week it just didn’t.”
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Self lamented the result however added there was “no decision” to be made as a result of the damage itself dominated McCullar out.
Kevin McCullar Jr., #15 of the Kansas Jayhawks, reacts after drawing a foul through the 2nd half of the sport in opposition to the Kansas State Wildcats at Allen Fieldhouse on March 5, 2024 in Lawrence, Kansas. (Jamie Squire/Getty Photographs)
“With consultation with doctors and with Kevin and where he is mentally and physically right now, it’s best for him to go ahead and shut it down, unfortunately for us, and more so for him, but there was really no decision to be made because he can’t go.”
The fourth-seeded Jayhawks will tackle the No. 13 seeded Bulldogs on Friday at 9:55 p.m. ET.
The Related Press contributed to this report.
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