Kansas basketball got a huge effort from David McCormack to outlast an upset-minded Eastern Washington team in the NCAA Tournament.
There were plenty of questions about the Kansas Jayhawks entering March Madness after the program had to withdraw from the Big 12 Tournament due to a positive COVID test. The Jayhawks, for at least one day, managed to answer those questions by avoiding an upset bid from Eastern Washington to win 93-84 to advance to the Round of 32 in the West Region.
Even though Jalen Wilson and key reserve Tristan Enaura were still not available for the game, the Jayhawks welcomed David McCormack back from quarantine. McCormack came off the bench and made an impact for Kansas, scoring 22 points (with 20 in the second half) and grabbing nine rebounds to make a big impact on the interior.
David McCormack might be Kansas’ most important player
The Jayhawks aren’t a particularly big team, making whatever post contributions they get out of McCormack extremely important. The Eagles had no answer for McCormack down low, which helped Kansas pick up key points in the paint to offset Easter Washington’s sharpshooting from beyond the arc, where they knocked down 10-of-26 three-point attempts.
Using this game to help get McCormack back into game shape is very important for Kansas, which could be staring at the prospect of a matchup with USC in the Round of 32. The Trojans still need to get past Drake in their first-round matchup tonight but USC would offer a big challenge inside with Evan and Isaiah Mobley, brothers who could give the Jayhawks a serious problem down low.
Evan Mobley is a potential first round pick while Isaiah is very talented in his own right, making it critical that McCormack is in game shape for that matchup. Today’s effort certainly was a positive step in that direction.
Wilson is expected to rejoin the team for their Round of 32 game but Enaura won’t be eligible to return until the Sweet 16 should Kansas advance.
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