Joel Embiid Out for Big 12 Tournament and Likely 1st Weekend of NCAA Tournament

Joel Embiid, the Kansas freshman who has been one of the best interior defenders in the country and is projected to be the 2nd overall pick in the 2014 NBA draft – if he comes out early – won’t play in the Big 12 tournament, his coach Bill Self just told reporters.

And it gets worse, Jayhawks fans – Embiid likely will be out for the 1st weekend of the NCAA tournament, Self added. That’s horrible news for the Jayhawks, who, prior to this development, would have been one of the favorites to win the Title.

Embiid is averaging 11 points and eight rebounds per game, as well as 2.6 blocks a night. He’s a major factor inside, a game-changing center who helped lift Kansas to the Big 12 regular season title. But now, Kansas probably isn’t the favorite in the Big 12 tournament, and what would that slide the Jayhawks to, a 3rd seed in the NCAA tournament?