Carlton Bragg will likely miss Kansas’ game against No. 4 Kentucky on Saturday. (Getty) Kansas has suspended sophomore forward Carlton Bragg indefinitely for a violation of team rules, the program announced late Thursday night.
Bragg, who is*averaging 6.1 points and 4.8 rebounds per game in 15 minutes, will presumably miss*the second-ranked Jayhawks’ showdown with No. 4 Kentucky this Saturday.
His absence would leave*Kansas’s frontcourt depleted. With freshman center Udoka Azubuike already out for the season with a left wrist injury, Landen Lucas will have to shoulder a heavy burden against the Wildcats. Freshman forward Mitch Lightfoot could also see extended playing time.
Kansas coach Bill Self said in a statement that the violation of team rules is “not connected” to an alleged rape at McCarthy Hall, an on-campus dorm that houses the entire Kansas basketball team and roughly 20 other students. Police are investigating the alleged incident, which occurred on Dec. 17, and five Kansas players — Frank Mason III, Lightfoot, Lagerald Vick, Tucker Vang and Josh Jackson*— are listed*as witnesses on the police report. No information on the suspect has been released.
Bragg was named as a witness in a separate police report from the same night. Here’s more from the Kansas City Star:
In addition to the report that the 16-year-old girl was raped at McCarthy Hall, a report of a runaway child was made from the same address around 4 a.m. Dec. 18. No information about the child was provided in a police report obtained by The Star, though the same two 19-year-old women [who were interviewed as part of*the rape investigation] and a sixth KU basketball player, Carlton Bragg, are listed as witnesses. According to the Lawrence Journal-World, the runaway was located and picked up.
Bill Self called the investigation a “major distraction” at a*weekly news conference Thursday, but also made it clear that he recognized the serious nature of the charges. “There’s obviously a very serious allegation that has been made,” he said. “So that trumps figuring out how to guard [Malik] Monk or [De’Aaron] Fox, to be real candid with you.”

Self said he had received no information from investigators that would lead him to discipline any of his players.
This is the second time Bragg has been suspended this season. He did not play against Nebraska on Dec. 10 after a woman claimed Bragg had punched her. A misdemeanor battery charge against Bragg was soon dropped, though, and a separate charge was filed against the woman. Bragg*was deemed to have been the victim in the incident, and his suspension was immediately lifted.
Kansas, which is 18-2 on the season, is coming off an 85-69 loss at West Virginia.