Kansas men’s basketball stars Kevin McCullar Jr. and Hunter Dickinson will both miss the Big 12 tournament due to injury, coach Bill Self said on his radio show Monday evening. Self added that he expects both players to be available in the NCAA Tournament.
McCullar (18.3 points, 6 rebounds per game) and Dickinson (18 points, 10.8 rebounds) are the Jayhawks’ leading scorers and rebounders, and both earned first-team All-Big 12 honors over the weekend. Dickinson injured his shoulder in the second half of Saturday’s loss to Houston and did not return.
“There’s no surgery. (Dickinson) did not tear his labrum,” Self said on the radio show, according to Henry Greenstein of the Lawrence Journal-World. Self added that Dickinson would start practicing this week.
Self on injuries: “We got great news yesterday with Hunt. There’s no surgery. He did not tear his labrum. Actually he’s far better off than what the doctors and the trainers even imagined.”
However, Dickinson won’t play this week, but will start practicing next week.
— Henry Greenstein (@HenryGreenstein) March 11, 2024
McCullar has been dealing with a knee injury that forced him to miss multiple games this season and limited him to 15 scoreless minutes against Houston.
“Kevin will not play this week. But that’s a positive too because everyone thinks that the time off will obviously help him,” Self said, also according to Greenstein.
Kansas finished the regular season 22-9 (10-8 Big 12) and sixth in the league standings, securing a first-round bye in the conference tournament. The Jayhawks’ eight conference losses were their most since 1988-89.
They will play the winner of West Virginia and Cincinnati on Wednesday in Kansas City, Mo.
Why rest for KU’s stars could be beneficial
Not having McCullar or Dickinson will significantly hinder the Jayhawks’ chances of winning the conference tournament, but having both players healthy would be a massive boost in the NCAA Tournament. The Athletic’s Brian Bennett had Kansas projected as No. 3 seed in the West Region in his latest Bracket Watch update.
This is the smart play for Kansas. It has looked like a tired team for the last month and McCullar has been a shell of himself since returning. The burst and explosion hasn’t been there. All that matters now for the Jayhawks is how they finish. Their best shot at going on a run in the NCAA Tournament is to be rested and healthy. This at least gives them a shot at both. They could have helped their seed this week, but they at least have a high seed floor because of the quality of their wins.
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