Josh Jackson Suspended for Kansas' 1st Game of Big 12 Tournament After Citations

University of Kansas freshman swingman Josh Jackson will miss the Jayhawks' opening contest of the Big 12 tournament after receiving a one-game suspension Wednesday.

Matt Galloway‏ of the Topeka Capital-Journal first passed along the news.

Jesse Newell of the Kansas City Star noted the ban stems from a Feb. 2 incident that resulted in Jackson getting cited for three traffic violations. The team's second-leading scorer alerted head coach Bill Self about the situation this week.

"Although Josh has acknowledged his responsibility and has handled it himself, he didn't tell me about it until Monday," Self said. "He should have left his contact information at the time and notified us immediately."

Self also stated Jackson told him he backed into a parked car and left the scene without leaving his contact information on the damaged vehicle. He's due in court on March 27, according to Newell.

The 20-year-old California native is also facing a misdemeanor property damage charge for a separate incident back in December, per USA Today. He allegedly kicked the car of a female Kansas student after an argument involving a friend.

In addition, Hunter Woodall and Blair Kerkhoff of the Kansas City Star noted Jackson was one of five Jayhawks listed as potential witnesses for a reported rape of a 16-year-old girl at a dorm that houses male students, including the basketball team, in December. No available evidence directly linked him to the alleged rape, though.

Jackson is averaging 16.4 points, 7.2 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.1 blocks across an impressive first season at Kansas. He's viewed as a possible top-five pick in the 2017 NBA draft.

The Jayhawks are the top seed in the Big 12 tournament. They will face the winner of Wednesday's clash between TCU and Oklahoma in the quarterfinals Thursday. Jackson would be eligible to return Friday if the team advances to the semifinals.