Joel Embiid's back will keep him out of the Big 12 Tournament and likely the first round or two of the NCAA Tournament.

When Bill Self said he was completely confident his breakout freshman center could be able to play in the postseason, he was likely dreading this scenario. Now, the Kansas Jayhawks' fear of having a seven-foot hole in the low post has been realized.

ESPN reported Embiid met with a spinal specialist in Los Angeles Monday to better assess what is ailing his back, which he first injured a month ago. Despite Self's hope that Embiid would play in the Big 12 tournament, he has no choice but to sit his star center indefinitely.

"Based on that, this weekend (in the Big 12 Championship) is out," Self said in a statement. "Next weekend, we feel like is a longshot, but the doctors are hopeful that if Joel works hard in rehab and progresses that it is possible that he could play in the later rounds of the NCAA Tournament if our team is fortunate enough to advance."

Embiid averaged 11 points, eight rebounds and nearly three blocks per game this year as a freshman from Cameroon. His low-post dominance caused NBA Draft experts to include his name along with teammate Andrew Wiggins, Kentucky's Julius Randle and Duke's Jabari Parker for potential top-five lottery picks.

"We're all very disappointed for Joel," Self said. "He's worked so hard and improved so much. He's been one of the most improved players in the country in such a short amount of time. The most important thing is for Joel to get healthy. We were hopeful, Joel was hopeful, the doctors were hopeful that his body would respond more rapidly to rehab and that has not been the case."

Embiid was named Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, but has said he will strongly consider returning to school for his sophomore season. He missed the final two games and will need about two more weeks. It is unclear how this injury will affect his draft stock should he declare, but Embiid will fortunately not need surgery.

"Everyone is 100 percent confident that Joel will heal and be back to normal soon, but the most important thing is that he gets well," Self said. "We're certainly not going to put him out there unless the doctors, his family and Joel are ready for him to go. I know how bad he wants it, and that he will work his butt off to put him in a position where if our team is successful and fortunate enough to advance, he could return in later rounds."

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