Bill Self Optimistic to Have Both Kevin McCullar and Jamari McDowell Back vs. Oklahoma
After suffering one of the worst losses in program history against Grant McCasland and the Texas Tech Red Raiders, Kansas head coach Bill Self provided Jayhawks fans with some good news on Thursday afternoon during his mid-week press conference.
Self mentioned that Kansas should see both senior guard Kevin McCullar and freshman guard Jamari McDowell return to action on Saturday when the Jayhawks face off against the 25th-ranked Oklahoma Sooners.
“I’m anticipating that, hopefully, both will,” Self said. “Jamari shouldn’t be an issue at all. “Depending on how Kevin feels through practice on Thursday and if he’s able to continue to go on Friday, I would anticipate him being able to be out there some. I don’t know the exact role or how much he’ll play.”
The loss of McCullar has been huge for Kansas as the Texas native has been one of the focal points of Bill Self’s team in 2023-24. The senior guard is currently averaging 19.5 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game in his fifth season of college basketball.
McCullar has recorded 15 or more points in 19 straight games for Kansas this season with his biggest game of the year coming against Yale on December 22nd where he recorded 34 points, six rebounds, four assists, two steals, and one block. Without McCullar, the Jayhawks have recorded a 1-1 record with a 64-61 win over Baylor and a 79-50 loss to Texas Tech.
In addition to McCullar’s return, the Jayhawks will also see freshman guard Jamari McDowell return to the lineup on Saturday. McDowell is only seeing roughly 5.8 minutes per game for Kansas but has shown up in big minutes when asked to take a bigger roll for the team.
While the Jayhawks find themselves two game back in the hunt for the Big 12 title, Kansas’ chances of making a run are still in their favor with Bill Self calling the shots. Kansas and Oklahoma clash on Saturday, February 17th at 3:00 PM CT on ESPN.
