Kansas men’s basketball dealt significant blow ahead of NCAA tournament

Fox News Flash top sports headlines are here. Check out what's clicking on Foxnews.com.

Kansas men’s basketball head coach Bill Self shut down any hope that Kevin McCullar Jr. would recover in time for the NCAA Tournament on Tuesday, telling reporters on Tuesday that the fifth-year player will miss the entirety of the tournament because of a knee injury. 

McCullar, who spent three seasons at Texas Tech before transferring to Kansas last season, has missed six of the Jayhawks' final 12 games of the season because of a bone bruise. 

Kevin McCullar Jr., #15 of the Kansas Jayhawks, shoots a free throw against the West Virginia Mountaineers at WVU Coliseum on Jan. 20, 2024 in Morgantown, West Virginia. (G Fiume/Getty Images)

Self told reporters that McCullar attempted to play on the injury but said "he just couldn’t go."  

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

"Kevin’s not gonna play," Self said. "Kevin says his knee pain has not subsided any, and it’s too bad for him to be able to contribute. So Kevin will not play."

The coach further clarified that the injury would keep McCullar out for the remainder of the tournament – not just the first round. 

"We're shutting him down for the tournament. If we’re fortunate enough to win two games we’ll have done it without him. He hasn’t practiced in six weeks, basically." 

Kevin McCullar Jr., #15 of the Kansas Jayhawks, dribbles the ball against pressure from Cam Carter, #5 of the Kansas State Wildcats, in the first half at Bramlage Coliseum on Feb. 5, 2024 in Manhattan, Kansas. (Peter G. Aiken/Getty Images)

COLORADO STATE BLOWS OUT VIRGINIA 67-42 IN FIRST FOUR OF MARCH MADNESS

McCullar, who was voted an honorable-mention All-American earlier Tuesday, returned for