Kansas freshman Josh Jackson suspended for Big 12 tourney opener

By Sports Illustrated and SI Wire/Sports Illustrated
Published

Kansas suspended freshman guard Josh Jackson for the team's opener of the Big 12 tournament for hitting a parked car and leaving the scene of an accident on Feb. 2, the school announced.

The top-ranked Jayhawks are set to play on Thursday and will take on the winner of Wednesday's first round game between TCU and Oklahoma.

Jackson is averaging 16.4 points, 7.2 rebounds and 3.1 assists a game this season. He was named the Big 12 top newcomer and made the conference's All-Big 12 first team as voted on by the Associated Press.

Jackson is set to appear in court later this month after being cited for three traffic violations. He received a ticket five days after the accident and was cited for duty upon striking an unattended vehicle, inattentive driving and improper backing

"Although Josh has acknowledged his responsibility and has handled it himself, he didn’t tell me about it until Monday,” Kansas head coach Bill Self said in a press release, obtained by the Kansas City Star. “He should have left his contact information at the time and notified us immediately.”

Jackson, who is considered a top NBA prospect should he leave school after this season, also has an April 12 court date to answer a misdemeanor charge of criminal property damage.

- Scooby Axson