Adam Zagoria covers basketball at all levels. He is the author of two books and an award-winning journalist whose articles have appeared in ESPN The Magazine, SLAM, Sheridan Hoops, Sports Illustrated, Basketball Times and in newspapers nationwide.
Kansas Star Embiid Seeing Back Specialist in California
Joel Embiid, the projected No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft and a key to Kansas’s chances of winning a fourth NCAA championship, traveled to California Sunday to see a back specialist for a second opinion on his back.
He will be evaluated Monday morning before returning to campus.
The development was reported by several outlets, including Mike DeCourcy of The Sporting News and Gary Parrish of CBSSports.com.
Kansas coach Bill Self told the Kansas City Star the injury was “more significant” than the lower back strain he was originally diagnosed with.
Kansas opens play as the No. 1 seed in the Big 12 Tournament on Thursday, but won’t play in the NCAA Tournament until March 20 or 21.
“If we have to hold him out for him to (be) 100 percent for the NCAA,” Self told the Star. “We’ll do that.”
The 7-foot Embiid, originally from Cameroon, is averaging 11.2 points and 8.1 rebounds.
He initially injured his back playing against TCU, and later missed two games in the regular season.
“It’s the same gameplan we said we would follow,” Self said of possibly holding Embiid out for the Big 12 Tournament. “It’s nothing where he won’t be feeling great in four weeks with some rest. But we don’t have four weeks.”
Photo: AP
Adam Zagoria is a Basketball Insider who covers basketball at all levels. A contributor to The New York Times and SportsNet New York (SNY), he is also the author of two books and is an award-winning journalist and filmmaker. His articles have appeared in ESPN The Magazine, SLAM, Sheridan Hoops, Basketball Times and in newspapers nationwide. He also won an Emmy award for his work on the SNY mini-documentary on Syracuse guard Tyus Battle.
A veteran Ultimate Frisbee player, he has competed in numerous National and World Championships and, perhaps more importantly, his teams won the Westchester Summer League (WSL) championships in 2011 and 2013.
He lives in Manhattan with his wife and children.
Joel Embiid, the projected No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft and a key to Kansas’s chances of winning a fourth NCAA championship, traveled to California Sunday to see a back specialist for a second opinion on his back.
He will be evaluated Monday morning before returning to campus.
The development was reported by several outlets, including Mike DeCourcy of The Sporting News and Gary Parrish of CBSSports.com.
Kansas coach Bill Self told the Kansas City Star the injury was “more significant” than the lower back strain he was originally diagnosed with.
Kansas opens play as the No. 1 seed in the Big 12 Tournament on Thursday, but won’t play in the NCAA Tournament until March 20 or 21.
“If we have to hold him out for him to (be) 100 percent for the NCAA,” Self told the Star. “We’ll do that.”
The 7-foot Embiid, originally from Cameroon, is averaging 11.2 points and 8.1 rebounds.
He initially injured his back playing against TCU, and later missed two games in the regular season.
“It’s the same gameplan we said we would follow,” Self said of possibly holding Embiid out for the Big 12 Tournament. “It’s nothing where he won’t be feeling great in four weeks with some rest. But we don’t have four weeks.”
Photo: AP
