Hunter Dickinson and Kevin McCullar to Miss Big 12 Tournament Due to Injuries
Kansas basketball will be without its two best players for this week’s Big 12 basketball tournament. Hunter Dickson and Kevin McCullar are going to miss the week in Kansas City, which begins in the second round on Wednesday night.
Dickinson, who suffered a dislocated right (non-shooting) shoulder in the second half of Saturday’s 30-point blowout loss at Houston, received good news from an MRI. Meantime, McCullar, who played in the first half but did not play in the second half at Houston, will continue to receive treatment on the bone bruise on his left knee, which has been nagging him for weeks.
Bill Self spoke during his Hawk Talk show on Monday night, saying, “We got great news yesterday with Hunt. No surgery (is needed). He did not tear his labrum. Actually he is far better off than what the doctors and trainers even imagined. He has good range of motion, already started rehab.”
“The bad thing is he is not going to play this week. He should practice full-speed by the start of next week and be available to us for the NCAA Tournament. Not only available, but he should be fine,” Self continued.
He added that both should be able to practice full-go early next week.
“He (Dickinson) will condition and do non-contact basketball stuff by Thursday or Friday this week. We think all indications point to that, (with) contact Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, depending when we play,” Self continued.
“That was the best news we could have received. We were all concerned he may have something to require surgery. That is not the case.”
Self was also upbeat when expanding on McCullar, saying, “Kev will not play this week, but that’s a positive, too. Everyone thinks the time off will help him, too. He will play in the NCAAs, too. The goal for Kevin is similar to Hunt: non-contact (late in week) and by Monday practicing. “We think a week from today Kevin will be practicing with us and doing everything.”
Both players were named All-Big 12 First-Team selections on Sunday.
Kansas is set to open up the Big 12 Tournament on Wednesday night as the No. 6 seed, where they will play either No. 11 Cincinnati or No. 14 West Virginia.
