Welp. Here we are. Just two days after the Kansas Jayhawks Men’s Basketball program was awarded a No. 4 seed in the NCAA Tournament, Coach Bill Self officially ruled out Kevin McCullar Jr. for the entirety of March Madness due to a bone bruise in his knee.
Not only does this feel like the most helpless Kansas team entering the tournament since the 2018-2019 team, but for the first time since the 2005-2006 season, there is a legitimate chance that the Crimson and Blue could have a first-round exit.
Looking back 18 years, KU was a No. 4 seed facing off with the 13th seeded Bradley Braves. The Jayhawks got punched in the mouth immediately and the Braves led at halftime by a score of 37-27. Bradley ended up hitting 11/21 (52.4%) shots from beyond the arc and went to the free-throw line 32 times throughout the game.
Oddly enough, much like the Jayhawks this season, depth was an issue for that Kansas team as well. Only seven players saw 9+ minutes on the court against Bradley. Additionally, KU saw starting guard Mario Chalmers and backup center C.J. Giles both foul out before the final buzzer, which played a part in their eventual disappointing 73-77 loss against the Braves.
This season, the vibes feel eerily similar to that iteration of Kansas. Without their leading scorer (at 18.3 PPG) in McCullar Jr. and with a banged up Dickinson who will likely be a shell of himself if he does end up playing, KU is down to what could be considered as a shaky 7-man rotation. The Jayhawks are staring down a 29-5 Samford Bulldogs team that is deep, hungry, and wants to sprint up and down the court all night… oh and they shoot 39.3% from three as a team.
This looks like a recipe for disaster for Coach Self and the short-handed Jayhawks. The team will definitely have their hands full as they try to not have a repeat of 2006.