Back spasms sideline Kevin McCullar in second half vs. ISU: ‘He gave us all he could’
Kansas senior guard Kevin McCullar, who forced a turnover by tying up Iowa State’s Tamin Lipsey early in the second half of KU’s 71-58 Big 12 Tournament semifinal victory over the Cyclones, apparently re-aggravated a back injury on the play.
McCullar, KU’s 6-foot-6 defensive whiz from San Antonio, Texas, left the game after a minute and didn’t return. He was in obvious discomfort on the KU bench at T-Mobile Center, but did remain seated, not needing to depart to the locker room for treatment.
“Kevin has been dealing with some back spasms, so it’s day-to-day, minute-to-minute what’s going on,” KU acting head coach Norm Roberts said after the game. “He gave us all he could today and we’re proud of him for doing that.
“Guys did step up. Joseph (Yesufu two points, two turnovers, 24 minutes) gave us good minutes. Bobby (Pettiford, one steal, eight minutes), MJ (Rice, two boards, six minutes) gave us good minutes out there. We told them, ‘Next man up, step up in a positive way and help us make a play,’ and those guys did that.”
Asked if McCullar would play in Saturday’s 5 p.m. Big 12 Tournament title game, Roberts said: “If he’s OK, yes. We’ve got to make sure we look for the long term. We’ve got to think about Kevin for the long haul.”
The long haul would be the 2023 NCAA Tournament, which for KU figures to start Thursday in Des Moines, Iowa.
KU forward KJ Adams said McCullar, who finished with six points in 12 minutes and played his usual outstanding defense on the Cyclones, contributed mightily Friday.
“It’s always a little different playing without Kevin. Obviously he has some back problem. But just having him on the bench, giving us inspirational stuff, telling us what to do on the court (is helpful),” Adams said.
“Kevin is always the most talkative person on the bench. He is (the) floor general even when he’s not out there. We’ll get him rested for the (NCAA) Tournament and try to get everybody up. It’s always next man up.”
Roberts was asked if he thought advancing to the Big 12 final wrapped up the overall No. 1 seed for KU. NCAA pairings will be announced Sunday.
“I have no idea,” Roberts said. “We’re not worried about that. We’re worried about winning the game and who we play next. You can’t worry about that. When you get in the tournament, everybody is good. Every team is a champion. You’ve got to be ready to play so it doesn’t matter where you are at.”
