23 February 2024
LAWRENCE (KSNT) – KU men’s basketball is hitting the reset button thanks to a six-day break in between games.
The Jayhawks didn’t have a mid-week game for the first time since conference play began, having last played at Oklahoma on Feb. 17 before facing Texas at home on Feb. 24.
KU junior forward KJ Adams said the time in between games wasn’t fully a week off, as Kansas still practiced, but it did provide some much-needed rest.
“Coach likes to call these the dog days when teams get a little fatigued, people’s minds get out of place,” Adams said. “So, just getting back together, getting everybody centered can really help a team in the long run. So, I think we’re just using that to our advantage as much as we can.”
Adams said he doesn’t know the details of some of his teammates’ conditions, but says he thinks everyone is feeling good health-wise. He called the break a ‘big step’ for KU, getting more practice days in than normal without having multiple games in a short timeframe.
However, one of KU’s biggest question marks for Kansas over the past few weeks is Kevin McCullar’s health, as he continues to battle injury. McCullar played Saturday in Norman, but head coach Bill Self said Thursday his status for Saturday against Texas is up in the air.
Every game seems like an important one for the ‘Hawks down the stretch in a tight Big 12 race.
“Let’s try to win one game at a time,” Self said. “We can’t control what other people do and whatever happens happens, but as long as we take care of our business, we have a chance to have a really good year in our league. Now whether or not that means having the chance to play for anything of the highest stakes against Houston, that remains to be seen.”
Kansas is 13-0 in Allen Fieldhouse this season. KU hosts Texas at 5 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 24, airing on ESPN.