Kansas HC Bill Self blames Kevin McCullar injury for upset loss against Baylor: "Kevin wasn’t himself today"

Kevin McCullar Jr. returned to the Kansas starting lineup against Baylor on Saturday in NCAA men's basketball after a stint on the sidelines due to injury. But he couldn't lead the Jayhawks to a win and it looked like the injury still affected him. Even the Jayhawks head coach Bill Self appeared to blame the senior guard’s injury for the upset loss.

McCullar played all of the first 20 games for Kansas this season, playing a big part in the Jayhawks performance in that stretch. But things changed at the end of January when he suffered a bone bruise injury against Oklahoma State. Since then, he has played just four games out of the possible nine.

Here is what the Jayhawks head coach Bill Self had to say about Kevin McCullar’s injury in the loss against the Baylor Bears on Saturday.

“I thought Kevin did really well, considering he’s been out. And that’s going to help us a lot, but Kevin wasn’t himself today. I mean, there’s a much better version of Kevin that’s still left to come. So — but he did really well today. But, we just didn’t get it done,” Self told the Jayhawk Radio Network after the game.

According to Self, he was impressed by the team for fighting till the end in the 82-74 loss.

---

How did Kevin McCullar fare in Kansas' loss to Baylor?

By any standards, Kevin McCullar Jr. didn't look out of place considering the time he has spent on the sidelines recently. The guard played just over a half-an-hour on the court and emerged as the joint highest-scorer in the game in terms of points. He dropped 20 points against Baylor along with teammate Hunter Dickinson.

McCullar also had five rebounds and two assists in the game. But he couldn't stop the Bears, who are currently ranked 15th in the country, from getting past his team with a 82-74 scoreline.

The Jayhawks have two more games to navigate, against Kansas State on Tuesday and against top ranked Houston on Saturday. Can McCullar and Co. come back stronger?

What do you think of the senior guard's performance? Do share your thoughts in the comments.