Kansas Jayhawks Basketball

Kansas expects both David McCormack and Tristan Enaruna to be available for the NCAA tournament, according to Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports.

Head coach Bill Self announced Tuesday the two players were ruled out of the Big 12 tournament because of COVID-19 safety protocols, but it seems they should both return in time for March Madness.

McCormack averages 13.4 points and 6.1 rebounds per game, both second-most on the team, while he leads the Jayhawks with 1.0 blocks per game. Enaruna averages just 2.8 points in 9.4 minutes per game but appeared in 25 of the team's first 27 games as a versatile reserve.

Losing depth in the post hurts any team, although McCormack especially showed his value in Kansas' upset win over Baylor with 20 points and three blocks. 

Self explained losing McCormack for the Big 12 tournament will help his team develop more flexibility going forward:

"On a plus side, though, if we're going to go into the NCAA tournament thinking we're going to have to play just one way, and then that one way is taken from us—we haven't really had a chance to prepare or practice it. So, I'm looking at it as, we're going to be better playing small in the NCAA tournament ... because it's forced us to change our game plan going into this one."

A projected return for the NCAA tournament should then give the Jayhawks a boost with the season on the line.

Bleacher Report's Kerry Miller projects Kansas to be a No. 3 seed in the tournament.

Kansas Jayhawks forward David McCormack and guard/forward Tristan Enaruna will miss this week's Big 12 tournament due to COVID-19 protocols, head coach Bill Self announced on Tuesday. 

The school did not explain if either or both players have tested positive for the virus, but the coach noted McCormack and Enaruna are roommates and the rest of the team remains on track to play Thursday. 

Self said he expects both players will be back by the start of the NCAA tournament next week. 

McCormack was named the Big 12's Most Improved Player for 2020-21 after averaging 13.4 points, 6.1 rebounds and 1.1 assists this season while shooting 51.1 percent from the field. Yet that hardly begins to explain how the junior from Virginia has integrated himself into Self's offense. 

Few players in college basketball have developed as rapidly as McCormack has this season. A liability in the post earlier in December, McCormack has become the top option in Kansas' system, averaging 15.8 points and 7.3 rebounds over his last 10 games. 

Self told reporters losing the forward will change how the Jayhawks approach the Big 12 tournament and he'll adjust the playbook accordingly.

Enaruna, a sophomore, has seen limited time off the bench this season and is averaging just 2.8 points and 1.6 rebounds. His 6'8", 200-pound frame has allowed Self to use him defensively on the wing for stretches to create a mismatch, but he hasn't played more than eight minutes in a game since early February. 

Now the Jayhawks will be without both players, giving Kansas an opportunity to prove it can win with its smallest margin for error this season. 

A recorded phone call heard by Judge Gerald E. Lynch of the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals allegedly involved an unnamed Kansas men's basketball assistant coach discussing paying the family of a prospective recruit.

According to Dana O'Neil and Bruce Feldman of The Athletic, Lynch mentioned the call in a court opinion two weeks ago regarding the convictions of former Adidas employee James Gatto, former Adidas consultant Merl Code and business manager Christian Dawkins. 

Per ESPN's Mark Schlabach, the trio was found guilty on felony charges of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud in October 2018 for their involvement in providing recruits with improper benefits to play at Kansas, Louisville and NC State.

The University of Kansas has denied any wrongdoing, instead insisting that the Adidas representatives acted on their own.

With regard to the phone call, Lynch wrote:

"In the call the coach admitted that he knew that paying for a recruit's brother to visit the school violated the NCAA rules, yet he planned to ask 'Jimmy' for help in routing funds to the family through an amateur team, all in the hopes of getting the recruit to eventually commit to Kansas because 'it's [his] job' to do so."

According to O'Neil and Feldman, the "Jimmy" mentioned was Gatto.

Lynch, who agreed with two of the charges against the Adidas representatives and disagreed with a third, added: "Had the jury heard this call, it may have believed that the coach did call Gatto to ask him to provide the money. In turn, that would make it more likely that Gatto genuinely did not intend to defraud Kansas by his actions at issue in the case."

In September 2019, the NCAA charged Kansas with lack of institutional control and head coach Bill Self with head coach responsibility.

Per Pat Forde, Pete Thamel and Dan Wetzel of Yahoo Sports, testimony and court documents show that former Adidas consultant T.J. Gassnola played a role in funneling money to relatives of Kansas recruits Billy Preston and Silvio De Sousa.

While the assistant coach in the phone call presented to Lynch was not named, longtime Kansas assistant Kurtis Townsend has been charged by the NCAA along with Self with Level 1 violations and a lack of institutional control. According to O'Neil and Feldman, the NCAA said Self and Townsend "embraced, welcomed and encouraged" Adidas to connect with recruits and convince them to commit to Kansas.

Kansas has declined to comment amid the ongoing investigation, but Townsend's lawyer Stu Brown, said, per O'Neil and Feldman:

"The dissenting opinion mischaracterizes Kurtis' phone call and provides only selectively edited parts of the call without context. Kurtis vigorously denies that he discussed breaking NCAA rules. Kurtis has a record of NCAA compliance throughout his almost thirty years as a college coach. Kurtis has cooperated fully with the NCAA investigation, and he will continue to do so."

Townsend has been on Kansas' staff since 2004 and remains with the program, and the same is true of Self, who has been with the Jayhawks since 2003.

Kansas, which won a national championship under Self and Townsend in 2008, is currently the No. 15 team in the nation with a record of 11-5 in 2020-21.

With fans other than family members in the stands for the first time this season, No. 5 Kansas defeated No. 8 Creighton 73-72 on Tuesday, improving to 5-1 on the season.

Marcus Zegarowski had a chance to tie the game when he was fouled on a three-point attempt with the Blue Jays down 73-70 with two seconds left, but he missed the last free throw to seal the deal for the Jayhawks.

The Jayhawks, coming off a four-point victory against North Dakota State (whom Creighton defeated by 11 points in its season-opener), were led to their fourth straight win by Jalen Wilson, who tied his career-high 23 points while adding 10 rebounds.

Kansas dropped its first game of the year to No. 1 Gonzaga, the only other ranked opponent it has faced this season, 102-90.

Denzel Mahoney added 19 points and five rebounds for Creighton, which had not faced a ranked opponent in its 3-0 start to the season but had a 5-0 streak against teams slotted in the AP Top 25 poll dating back to Feb. 1, 2019. The Blue Jays ended the 2019-20 season ranked No. 7 in the AP Top 25 and No. 9 in the Amway Coaches Poll.

Notable Performers

• Jalen Wilson, F, Jayhawks: 23 PTS, 10 REB
• Denzel Mahoney, G, Blue Jays: 19 PTS, 5 REB
• Marcus Zegarowski, G, Blue Jays: 16 PTS, 6 REB, 4 AST
• Christian Braun, G, Jayhawks: 14 PTS, 4 REB, 6 AST, 3 STL

Jalen Wilson Has Arrived

Kansas forward Jalen Wilson lost his freshman season after two games when he was injured, but he's making up for lost time with the Jayhawks so far this year.

Through five games, Wilson averaged 15.0 points, 8.8 rebounds and 1.2 assists on 46.4 percent shooting from the field (30.0 percent from three), with a career-high 23 points in 31 minutes played in the team's win over then-No. 20 Kentucky.

On Tuesday, he led the team with his third double-double of the season, going 8-of-12 from the field and continuing to collect double-digit scoring through each of the Jayhawks games.

A Tale of Two Marcuses

In a battle of two stars named to the preseason Wooden Award watch list, it was Creighton's Marcus Zegarowski who came out on top over Kansas star Marcus Garrett—though it didn't seem as though it would be that way through the first half of Tuesday's game.

As Kansas held a 39-35 lead at the break, Zegarowski had just three points for the Blue Jays, coupled with four rebounds and a pair of assists, while Garrett, who was a major force in limiting the Creighton junior in the first half, had five points, two rebounds and an assist for Kansas.

Something shifted in the second half, as Zegarowski added 13 points after the half and pick up his season high in points.

Garrett ended the night with nine points, four assists and three defensive rebounds.

What's Next?

Kansas will host 3-4 Omaha on Friday, with the Mavericks entering off a tight 65-63 victory against SIU Edwardsville on Saturday. Omaha took on Creighton Dec. 1, falling 94-67.

Creighton will head home to host 3-1 Nebraska on Friday. The Cornhuskers will come to Creighton on short rest after taking on a tough Georgia Tech team that upended then-No. 20 Kentucky on Wednesday.

Former Kansas basketball player Silvio De Sousa has been charged with one count of aggravated battery in relation to events that allegedly took place on New Year's Eve.

According to charging documents filed Monday, De Sousa "unlawfully, feloniously and recklessly (caused) great bodily harm or disfigurement to another person."

De Sousa opted out of the 2020-21 college basketball season October 16, citing "personal issues." 

"Earlier this fall, Silvio told me that he had been contacted by local authorities regarding his alleged involvement in an incident on New Year's Eve," Kansas coach Bill Self said in a statement to the Topeka Capital-Journal. "He was not aware of the details from that incident until a couple weeks ago, which he then shared with me. These allegations were surprising to Silvio, as they were to us. Once we discussed the details, he decided it was in his best interest to opt out and focus on this matter. We mutually agreed that was the best course of action."

Further details regarding the allegations have not been made public.

De Sousa was heading into his senior season at Kansas. 

Kansas Jayhawks forward Silvio De Sousa announced on Friday he is opting out of the 2020-21 season.

In a statement on Twitter, De Sousa said he is going to "focus all of my energies on some personal issues" and won't play his senior year:

De Sousa has had a memorable college career since arriving on campus in Lawrence, Kansas. He graduated from IMG Academy early to enroll in college for the 2017-18 season. 

After being ruled eligible by the NCAA, De Sousa debuted for the Jayhawks in January 2018. The Angola native averaged four points and 3.7 rebounds in 20 games as a freshman. He scored a season-high 16 points in Kansas' 81-70 win over West Virginia in the Big 12 Tournament championship game. 

De Sousa was held out of the 2018-19 season after former Adidas consultant T.J. Gassnola testified he paid the forward $2,500 to De Sousa's guardian as part of the NCAA pay-for-play scandal. 

Following an appeal in which the NCAA ruled De Sousa eligible, he returned to play for the Jayhawks last season. He appeared in 18 games, but was suspended 12 games by the Big 12 for his role in a brawl between Kansas and Kansas State following a Jan. 21 win by the Jayhawks. 

De Sousa averaged 3.3 points, 3.3 rebounds and shot 59.3 percent from the field in 38 games during his college career. 

Kansas men's basketball coach Bill Self is considering legal action against the NCAA amid the organization's ongoing infractions investigation against him and the Jayhawks program, per ESPN's Mark Schlabach.

"Without limiting Mr. Self's claims, he is considering bringing legal action against the NCAA and NCAA officers, employees and representatives for negligence, breach of contract, defamation, fraud, tortious interference with contract and tortious interference with prospective contract," Scott Tompsett, Self's attorney, wrote to NCAA vice president of legal affairs and general counsel Scott Bearby on June 12.

The NCAA charged the Jayhawks with five Level I violations (the most severe) and said the program committed "egregious" and "severe" violations that "significantly undermine and threaten the NCAA Collegiate Model," per Schlabach.

Most notably, the organization also wrote Self and assistant coach Kurtis Townsend "embraced, welcomed and encouraged" representatives from Adidas, which sponsors the Jayhawks, to sway recruits to attend the school.

KU has since disputed all the allegations, making the following remarks in part last March, per Schlabach:

"In this case, stemming from federal criminal trials in 2018, there are several facts that are in dispute; there are assumptions made; and, perhaps most importantly, there are unprecedented and novel theories put forward that, if found to have merit by the Panel, would dramatically alter the collegiate sports landscape in ways not contemplated by the Membership."

The investigation of KU is part of widespread allegations against numerous Division I men's basketball programs involving pay-for-play schemes involving representatives from apparel companies allegedly trying to steer recruits to certain schools in exchange for money and/or benefits. Seven schools have been hit with NCAA notices of allegations, per Schlabach and ESPN's Jeff Borzello.

Adidas representatives (or people allegedly working with Adidas reps) have been brought to court and found guilty, per Schlabach. Of note, James Gatto, Merl Code and Christian Dawkins were found guilty of felony charges of fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud, although all three are appealing their convictions.

As for Self, Tompsett defended his client by writing that the allegations "are erroneously premised upon an arbitrary, misguided and unprecedented interpretation and application of NCAA booster and recruiting legislation."

He also added in part:

"The record is clear and undisputed—payments allegedly made to the families/guardians of the three student-athletes cited in the [NCAA amended notice of allegations] were intentionally concealed from KU, Mr. Self and his coaching staff. Indeed, the ANOA does not allege that Mr. Self is culpable in any way, shape or form for the alleged payments."

Self has a lifetime 728-214 record with Oral Roberts, Tulsa, Illinois and Kansas, which he led to the 2009 national championship. The 57-year-old has coached the Jayhawks for 17 seasons.

The NCAA and the University of Kansas remain at odds as to the culpability of men's basketball coach Bill Self and assistant coach Kurtis Townsend as it relates to alleged violations within the program. 

Kansas shared the reply it received from the NCAA on Monday regarding possible infractions by the football and basketball teams:

"While the football allegations involve alleged Level II and III violations, which are serious alleged violations, there can be no doubt the men's basketball allegations are egregious, severe and are of the kind that significantly undermine and threaten the NCAA Collegiate Model. ... Regarding the men's basketball allegations, very few facts are in dispute."

The organization added that "where the parties diverge from the NCAA enforcement staff is on the key issue of responsibility" and that Self and Townsend "have accepted no responsibility for this conduct."

Kansas became wrapped up in the FBI's investigation into college basketball corruption. Yahoo Sports reported in November 2018 that federal authorities allowed NCAA investigators to begin conducting their own review.

CBSSports.com's Dennis Dodd reported in March 2019 the NCAA had turned its focus toward the Jayhawks, with the scope not just limited to basketball.

A lawyer for former Adidas executive James Gatto said during trial in October 2018 that Self and Townsend had requested a $20,000 payment to Fenny Falmagne, the "handler" for 2018 recruit Silvio De Sousa, per ESPN's Mark Schlabach.

In its enforcement reply, the NCAA didn't explicitly reference De Sousa but said that Kansas "does not dispute that Adidas and its employee and consultant provided at least $100,000 to the families of three men's basketball prospective student-athletes the institution was recruiting."

The NCAA charged Kansas with five Level I violations and two Level II violations, the most serious of which was a lack of institutional control.

Kansas responded in March to say "the allegations brought against our men's basketball program are simply baseless and littered with false representations."

Sports Illustrated's Michael Shapiro noted the timing of the NCAA's most recent communication could allow for the completion of the case by the start of the 2020-21 season.