The Kansas basketball team defeated Oklahoma on the road last weekend and had another week to rest ahead of Saturday's game against Texas. However, Bill Self had some concerning words for the Jayhawk faithful during his press conference on Thursday.
The Jayhawks, who have an 8-5 conference record and are likely out of the Big 12 championship race, have struggled with depth all year long. In addition to their lack of bench production, Coach Self is unsure whether star guard Kevin McCullar will suit up vs. the Longhorns.
McCullar, who leads the Big 12 in scoring with a 19.0 point-per-game average, has dealt with a bone bruise in his knee since last month and missed three games because of it. Earlier this week, it was revealed that he tweaked his knee again against Oklahoma, and the injury could last until the end of the season.
When discussing his status for tomorrow's bout in Allen Fieldhouse, KU's head coach didn't sound very encouraged.
“No, I do not ,” Self told the media. “He hasn’t done anything yet this week. So we’ll probably wait and see if he’s able to do anything today. Today will probably determine if he plays on Saturday as much as anything. But I probably won’t tell you guys that.”
Considering he had not practiced up until Thursday when the previous game was last Saturday, Kansas is being incredibly cautious with McCullar's knee. For what it's worth, his practice time will continue to be limited throughout the rest of the season, so this should not be the last time fans hear him give an update like this.
While there might be some gamesmanship within Self's words to keep UT head coach Rodney Terry on his toes, the team is in danger of not having one of its best players. Nick Timberlake would presumably step into the starting lineup to fill his void if he does miss the contest.