How close are KU’s Kevin McCullar & Hunter Dickinson to returning? Bill Self’s answer

Injured Kansas Jayhawk seniors Hunter Dickinson and Kevin McCullar stood a step behind the 3-point line clapping their hands while encouraging their teammates during warmups before Wednesday night’s second-round Big 12 Tournament game between KU and Cincinnati at T-Mobile Center.

Despite the two first-team all-league players’ best efforts at cheerleading, the injury-depleted Jayhawks — they also were basically without one of their two scholarship substitutes — Parker Braun, who played just three minutes because of an ankle injury — fell to the Bearcats 72-52.

No. 16-ranked KU (22-10), which had just six scholarship players available, seven counting Braun, bowed out of the Big 12 event prior to the quarterfinal round.

“A year ago today, I was messed up (physically, missing Big 12 tourney after undergoing a heart procedure),” KU coach Bill Self said after Wednesday’s game — one in which KU hit 3 of 20 3s to Cincy’s 9 of 26. KU also was outrebounded 49-38, with Cincy grabbing 16 offensive rebounds to KU’s eight.

“From that standpoint,” Self continued, “I feel a heck of a lot better today than I did a year ago. Today, I am not exactly happy or feeling great. The thing about it is we have struggled of late, but (we) haven’t been whole either.

“Gosh dang, if we could just get whole we can play with anybody. We have proven that. It’s not making excuses. The guys that are in there need to obviously deliver when they are in there, but guys that are in there haven’t been in positions like they were tonight to deliver. It’s new for them.”

Which leads us to the question about the status of McCullar and Dickinson, who will be rested until Monday, when Self expects them to return to practice.

After the game — one in which KJ Adams led the way for KU with a career-high tying 22 points — Self was asked if big man Dickinson and high-scoring shooting-guard McCullar could have played Wednesday night if it had been an NCAA Tournament game.

“Hunter for sure couldn’t. Kevin probably could have (played),” Self said. “Hunter when it (right shoulder) popped out of place (against Houston) and the MRI and what the doctors said, he has to pass some (medical) tests before we put him out there. But you could make a case if this game was played on Saturday, could he (Dickinson) have played? The answer may be yes, He should be good to go next week.”

About McCullar, who has been slowed by a bone bruise in his left knee, Self said: “Kevin probably practiced three times maybe in the last three to five weeks. He didn’t practice after the K-State game and then felt good enough to play against Houston. At least that’s what he said. Once he got out there (in first half of 30-point loss to Houston) he realized it was a bad idea. Whenever Hunter went out (with serious injury in second half at Houston) to me it was an easy decision to sit Kevin. You try your butt off to try to win a game with the risk of injuring (McCullar). It was an easy decision.”

The Jayhawks, who had just one player score in double figures (Dajuan Harris, Johnny Furphy, Elmarko Jackson and Nick Timberlake combined for 20 points on 8-of-39 shooting), will have plenty of time to rest, then practice before beginning the NCAAs a week from Thursday or Friday.

“We have struggled lately (in losing four of five), which leads to (losing) confidence,” Self said, “which we’ve got to get a swag back. Geez, guys are aiming the ball instead of shooting it. We had four starters combine to go 8-for-39 tonight. It’s like they are shooting at the fair where the balls can’t actually fit through the goals. We’ve got to start shooting at a bigger basket.

“We have about seven to eight days that we can get some of that back.”

Noted Elmarko Jackson, who had nine points on 2-of-11 shooting, including an athletic two-handed dunk on a dart up the middle of the lane in the first half: “We will carry this feeling to practice the next week, remembering this feeling. Nobody on the team wants to feel this again when the stakes are higher.”