Kansas basketball: Multiple Jayhawks battling injuries according to Bill Self

Multiple Kansas basketball players are battling injuries. Will the bumps and bruises hurt the Jayhawks in Big 12 play?

Kansas basketball relies heavily on their starters. Devon Dotson almost never comes off the court, along with fellow sophomore Ochai Agbaji. Even Udoka Azubuike and Marcus Garrett play almost 30 minutes per game, so it’s no surprise that guys are starting to get worn down.

The Jayhawks have already played 16 games this season, with only 15 remaining until the Big 12 Tournament. That means Kansas has played over 26 hours of basketball this year, not including practices and other activities.

Inevitably, some Jayhawks are starting to struggle with injuries.

Devon Dotson left Kansas’ game against Baylor last Saturday with a hip pointer and then came back and finished the game. He seemed to still be in pain, against the Bears, and he sat out the Jayhawks’ most recent game against the Sooners.

When asked about the timeline on Dotson’s injury, head coach Bill Self responded with “Nah, I have no idea. I have no idea.” That’s not something Kansas basketball fans wanted to hear, as Dotson is probably the most important player on the team. He’s leading the Big 12 with a clean 18 points per game average, and the Jayhawks really rely on his scoring.

Dotson isn’t the only Jayhawk battling an injury though.

On his Hawk Tawk radio show, Bill Self commented that Ochai Agbaji had played with a strained back against Oklahoma. Self didn’t give many details, only saying that Agbaji “Didn’t blink.” Due to the lack of information, it’s hard to speculate about the severity of the injury, but if Agbaji could play, the injury may not be extreme.

Agbaji played 38 minutes against Oklahoma, putting up seven points, three assists, and five rebounds.

Finally, Marcus Garrett has been battling ankle injuries that he sustained back in December against Villanova and last week against Iowa State. After starting at point guard against the Sooners and playing 38 minutes on two bad ankles, Self called Garrett “tough as nails.” He finished the game with 15 points, five assists, five rebounds, and only one turnover.

All three Jayhawks are regular starters, and all three bring a unique element that makes Kansas one of the best teams in the country; Dotson is a pure scorer, Agbaji is an amazing athlete, and Garrett brings lockdown defense.

They all play a ridiculous amount of minutes, but there’s good news. Kansas basketball is about to enter a somewhat “softer” part of their Big 12 schedule.

Kansas plays Texas on the road, Kansas State at home, Tennessee at home, and Oklahoma State on the road in their next four games. None of those teams are ranked, and none are over .500 in conference play as of now. The idea is that the Jayhawks can get up big, and then coast by letting their bench players finish out the game so the starters can get some much-needed rest.

Kansas basketball needs, Devon Dotson, Marcus Garrett, and Ochai Agbaji if they’re going to win a title this season. On the bright side, none of their injuries are season-ending, so all three should be good to go by March.

You can catch the Jayhawks’ next game this Saturday at 1:00 PM central time on ESPN.