Fansided

Josh Jackson suspended for Kansas’ Big 12 tournament opener

By Chris Stone

Feb 13, 2017; Lawrence, KS, USA; Kansas Jayhawks guard Josh Jackson (11) leaves the court after the win over the West Virginia Mountaineers in overtime at Allen Fieldhouse. Kansas won 84-80. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 13, 2017; Lawrence, KS, USA; Kansas Jayhawks guard Josh Jackson (11) leaves the court after the win over the West Virginia Mountaineers in overtime at Allen Fieldhouse. Kansas won 84-80. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports /
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Josh Jackson will miss the Jayhawks’ opening game of the Big 12 tournament.

Kansas head coach Bill Self announced Wednesday morning that the program has suspended freshman Josh Jackson for the opening game of the Big 12 tournament.

Jackson’s suspension is related to a traffic incident that involved him not leaving contact information after backing into another vehicle on campus on Feb. 2. The freshman didn’t inform Self of the incident until Monday.

Jackson will miss the team’s opening round game against either the Oklahoma Sooners or the TCU Horned Frogs. Sophomore LaGerald Vick has been informed that he will start in place of Jackson on Thursday, suggesting that the Jayhawks will continue to play the small ball lineups that have given them so much success this season.

This is the second traffic-related incident for Kansas this season and also Jackson’s second run-in with authorities. Jackson was recently charged with misdemeanor criminal property damage for a December incident stemming from an altercation outside of a Lawrence, KS bar.

That altercation resulted in in-house discipline for Jackson and an initial suspension for McKenzie Calvert, the Kansas women’s basketball player who was also involved. The disciplinary action, or lack thereof, has spurred conversations regarding potential double standards within the athletic department at Kansas.

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Jackson’s one-game suspension for this separate incident certainly will do little to quell the rising chorus aimed at the Jayhawks for their off the court behavior this season, something that has become a rightful distraction from the team’s performance on the court en route to a 13th straight Big 12 championship and likely No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.