Kansas forwards Jalen Wilson and David McCormack and guard/forward Tristan Enaruna did not make the trip to Indianapolis with their KU men’s basketball teammates and coaches on Monday, The Star has confirmed.
The Jayhawks’ charter flight from Kansas City to Indianapolis — site of the 2021 men’s NCAA Tournament — arrived in Indiana about 1:30 p.m. Monday minus those three Jayhawks players, a source close to the program told The Star.
Coach Bill Self said Sunday that McCormack and Enaruna, who have been in COVID-19 protocols the past several days in Lawrence, were expected to travel on their own to Indianapolis at some point this week in advance of Saturday’s first-round game against Eastern Washington “as long as nothing happens in the meantime.”
Self has said nothing specifically regarding Wilson.
All that has been reported by KU is that the Jayhawks on Friday had to withdraw from the Big 12 Tournament because of a positive COVID-19 test within the men’s basketball team. No individual player has been identified as having a positive test by Self or KU officials.
Self said Sunday: “Obviously the most recent positive test, I mean anybody can do the math. We think that (unnamed player’s return to team) will not be until we complete the first two games if we are fortunate enough to advance.”
KU plays Eastern Washington at 12:15 p.m. Saturday at Farmers Coliseum in Indianapolis. The winner meets either USC, Wichita State or Drake on Monday in a second-round game.
A player and/or member of the team traveling party has to test negative seven straight days before entering the bubble in Indy.
Wilson, who has started 26 of 28 games, averages 12.1 points and 8.2 rebounds in 29.3 minutes per game for the 20-8 Jayhawks.
The Jayhawks were unable to practice on Monday because of the early flight to Indy, Self told The Star on Monday in a text message. The Jayhawks’ players and coaches were to receive COVID-19 tests upon arrival to the bubble in Indy.
“They have given us some things,” Self said Sunday of rules and regulations to be followed in the bubble. “It’s going to be much tighter, not much leeway. It’s not going to be a ‘tell us what you want’ type situation. It will be we’re told what we want, which is also good.
“Higher seeded teams don’t pick times they want to practice. There will be a strict regimented schedule. We will be tested as soon as we get there, then wait 12 hours to test again before we can leave the room to whatever we need to do. It’ll be different. It’ll be a tight ship,” Self added.
