Kansas Star Ruled Out For NCAA Tournament In Announcement That Could Shake Up Your Bracket

Getty Image / Jamie Squire

Back in the preseason, the Kansas Jayhawks were easily selected as the number-one team in the country by AP Poll voters. With 46 of the 60 first-place votes, many believed Bill Self’s team to be an overwhelming favorite to cut down the nets in a few weeks in Glendale, Arizona.

But, injuries have piled up for the Jayhawks down the stretch, and their eight losses in Big 12 play were the most for the team since 1988-1989. Now, one of their best players, guard Kevin McCullar Jr., has been ruled out of the NCAA Tournament by Kansas.

Bill Self made the announcement on Tuesday ahead of the team’s first NCAA Tournament game on Thursday.

Kevin McCullar Jr. was a huge reason why the team was ranked at the top of the AP Preseason Poll. McCullar, who transferred from Texas Tech after the 2021-2022 season, was a third-team All-Big 12 selection in his first year in Lawrence. Many expected him to contend for All-American status this year.

That’s exactly the kind of season that the 6-foot-7 guard had for the Jayhawks. On the year, he averaged 18.3 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 4.1 assists. But, he played sparingly down the stretch, and missed the Big 12 Tournament. The injury was reported as a bone bruise. But it has to be something more serious than that, considering he’s been ruled out for the entire tournament already.

Kansas did get some good news, as First-Team All-American center Hunter Dickinson will play in Thursday’s game against Samford as the team tries to make a run.

But, it just got a lot tougher. The team lost six of their last eleven games to end the season, and I think many Jayhawks fans were counting on him being back.

I’m sure plenty of people who picked fourth-seeded Kansas to advance deep into March Madness were hoping that Kevin McCullar Jr. would be back, too. But, it looks like that could be too steep of a hill to climb.