Kansas star gives update on foot injury ahead of first NCAA Tournament matchup

Kansas forward David McCormack didn’t play his usual minutes load in the Big 12 Tournament due to a foot injury. As the Jayhawks prepare to open the NCAA Tournament on Thursday, he provided an update prior to their first game.

McCormack played 23 minutes combined against West Virginia and TCU in the first two games of the Big 12 Tournament. He was back to his usual load in the championship, though, totaling 18 points and 11 rebounds in 29 minutes against Texas Tech.

Ahead of the March Madness matchup against Texas Southern, McCormack — who averages 10.1 points and 7.1 rebounds per game — said he’s prepared for whatever coach Bill Self expects of him.

“I go in the game just ready to play,” McCormack said. “I always come prepared to play. We haven’t talked about anything about minutes, but I’m here for the team and I’m here to win.”

No. 1 seed Kansas and No. 16 seed Texas Southern tip off Thursday at 9:57 p.m. ET on TruTV.

Texas Southern wins in NCAA Tournament, will play Kansas

Texas Southern defeated Texas A&M-Corpus-Christi 76-67 in the first game of the 2022 NCAA Tournament, setting up a First Round game against 1-seed Kansas on Thursday. The Tigers were led by Bryson Etienne with 21 points and four rebounds off the bench in the First Four game played in Dayton, Ohio.

After going back-and-forth in the first half, Texas Southern took a halftime lead which it held onto for much of the second half. A push with under 10 minutes remaining gave Texas A&M-Corus Christi a lead but Texas Southern stormed back and made its free throws down the stretch for the win.

Led by former LSU coach Johnny Jones, Texas Southern makes its second consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance after winning the SWAC Tournament. The Tigers are now 19-12 this season and 13-5 in the conference, earning the 2-seed in the postseason tournament before going on a run and defeating regular season champion Alcorn State

Texas Southern will play Kansas in Fort Worth, Texas on Thursday after beating Texas A&M-Corpus-Christi. The Midwest region game will tip off at 9:57 p.m. ET on TruTV and will be the final game started on the day of the First Round.

The challenge of facing the 1-seed in the Midwest region on two days of preparation and rest now faces this team. In addition, they must attempt to pull off a feat which has only happened one time in 144 tries as a 16-seed facing a 1-seed. Kansas is currently 28-6 and finished 14-4 in the Big 12. The Jayhawks won both the regular season and conference tournament titles this year on their way to a top seed in their bracket of choice.