The Kansas basketball team will open the NCAA Tournament today against No. 13-seeded Samford. While the Jayhawks have won 16 consecutive first-round matchups under head coach Bill Self, the scenario is quite different this time around.
KU was handed a No. 4 seed on Selection Sunday, tied for the worst during Self's 20+ year tenure. The Jayhawks will also be without star guard Kevin McCullar, who led the Big 12 in scoring and was a First Team All-Conference player. Coach Self announced that a bone bruise in his knee would sideline him for the remainder of the season.
It will not be the first time Kansas plays without McCullar, as his injury was nagging him for nearly two months. He missed five games during the regular season against Oklahoma State, Baylor, Texas Tech, Texas, and BYU, respectively. One college basketball analyst pointed out a troubling statistic about fellow KU star Hunter Dickinson during those games.
"It's felt like Hunter Dickinson hasn't been as efficient without Kevin McCullar, so ran the numbers. Small sample size, but Dickinson shoots 57.4% from the field in games McCullar plays and 43.1% in games he misses.CJ Moore, The Athletic
KU needs an efficient and productive Dickinson this week."
CJ Moore, a writer for The Athletic, makes a great point here. Those numbers are certainly alarming for the Jayhawks, who need someone to fill the void that McCullar left. Furthermore, baskets won't be easy to come by for Dickinson, who is not playing at 100% due to his shoulder injury.
In addition to his inefficient shooting, Dickinson's averages drop from 18.0 points and 10.6 rebounds on the season to 14.6 points and 6.6 rebounds in games when McCullar sat out. Time will tell if he will improve on those numbers today, but he should be able to score in the paint at ease because Samford plays small ball.
If Kansas is going to avoid its first Round of 64 upset since 2006, it will need an efficient game from Dickinson and additional offensive help from struggling players such as Johnny Furphy, Dajuan Harris, and Nick Timberlake.
It's felt like Hunter Dickinson hasn't been as efficient without Kevin McCullar, so ran the numbers. Small sample size, but Dickinson shoots 57.4% from the field in games McCullar plays and 43.1% in games he misses.
— CJ Moore (@CJMooreHoops) March 19, 2024
KU needs an efficient and productive Dickinson this week.