If Joel Embiid's injury were to not affect the Kansas Jayhawks in the postseason, it may still affect their NCAA Tournament seeding.

Ron Wellman, the NCAA Tournament selection committee chair, told ESPN's Andy Katz the breakout center's back injury may affect Kansas' seeding. Embiid has a stress fracture in his back and will be out at least until after the tournament's first weekend.

In 2004, UConn was dropped one seed due to an injury to Emeka Okafor, but he ended up playing and the Huskies won the national championship.

"I can assure you it will be a detailed discussion as to when he is going to be available, and we will be monitoring and communicating with Kansas throughout the week as to what his availability will be going forward," Wellman said on Katz' show on ESPN U.

Kansas coach Bill Self has already ruled Embiid, who saw a specialist in Los Angeles Monday, out for the Big 12 Tournament. The Jayhawks are the top seed and will play the winner of Oklahoma State and Texas Tech, who face off Thursday.

Currently, Kansas figures to be the second seed in the Midwestern part of the tournament bracket, according to ESPN's Joe Lundardi. Wichita State is currently ahead of them and Syracuse behind them.

Kansas has won two of three games in which they did not have Embiid, but they also ended their season on a sour note by losing to Oklahoma State and West Virginia. On the other hand, Syracuse lost four of their last six games and fell from first in the nation to seventh overall.

Embiid does leave a large hole in the low post, literally and figuratively. The seven-foot Cameroon native is averaging 11 points, eight rebounds and nearly three blocks per game this season. He also creates more one-on-one situations for the team's forwards and guards.

"Do you reward teams for what they have done in the season, or do you project what they are going to do?" Wellman said. "If you are projecting what they are going to do, then that injury of course takes on more importance. If you are rewarding them for what they have done in the season, then you just base your decisions, whether it be selection or seeding, upon what they have shown thus far in the season and their accomplishments this season. I think that is a discussion that we will have in the committee room."

Wellman said he is one of 10 committee members, who could also decide to reward Kansas, should they display that they can play at full strength even without their dominant big man.

"I am probably one personally that sides on the award side," Wellman said. "Is it good or is it appropriate to punish a team and the other 11 players on that team because someone is injured? I don't think you completely eliminate the facts that you have in front of you regarding an injury, but I tend to side personally, and I'm not speaking for the committee on this, but personally I would probably side on the award side of it."

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