Tag: bill self

Shaka Smart had to be held back as benches cleared during a skirmish with Bill Self at Maui Invitational

This was INTENSE.

Tensions were high between No. 4 Marquette head coach Shaka Smart and No. 1 Kansas head coach Bill Self during the 2023 Maui Invitational Semifinals.

During the first half, Kansas senior Kevin McCullar hit a 3-point shot and, as the two teams went into a break for a media timeout, it wasn’t long before both benches cleared.

While it wasn’t initially clear what caused the skirmish, the two teams were eventually separated and both of the coaches were issued off-setting technical fouls. NCAA referee Roger Ayers then huddled with Self and Smart in an effort to de-escalate the conflict.

But the two sides remained heated and ESPN clearly captured Self saying the word “unbelievable” after the interaction.

After the game, which Marquette won 73-59, Smart offered his take on what happened during his exchange with McCullar (via KansasCity.com):

“He played at Texas Tech and he always has brought an edge that is different. He’s always enjoyed having a dialogue with me. He probably does that with all coaches. That kind of started the little dust-up. Their bench got involved. Our bench got involved. At the end of the day it really had very little to do with the game.”

Self, meanwhile, didn’t want to talk about the incident after the game but he told reporters that he doubted Smart provided an accurate summary.

For what it is worth: The two coaches and their teams have not seen eye-to-eye for more than a decade. Back in 2011, VCU (then coached by Smart) faced Kansas in the Elite Eight of the NCAA tournament. Before the game, Marcus and Markieff Morris had an altercation with VCU in the tunnel.

Smart was later hired by Texas, and for many years, he and Self battled for recruits and conference titles in the Big 12. Three of Smart’s highest-ranked wins have come against Self and Kansas, per ESPN.

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College basketball fans were in disbelief after Kansas and Bill Self avoided any serious NCAA punishment

It took years for the NCAA to come to this …

The Kansas Jayhawks basketball program waited years for their NCAA case to reach a resolution, and that day finally came on Wednesday with Bill Self evading the harsh punishments that many around the game expected to see.

Six years ago, an FBI investigation into corruption at some of college basketball’s top men’s programs led to schools like Arizona, Oklahoma State, LSU, Auburn, Louisville and Kansas coming under intense NCAA scrutiny. Among those cases, the NCAA charged Kansas with five Level I violations for corrupt recruiting practices with Adidas and a lack of institutional control.

The charges concerned three players – Billy Preston, Silvio De Sousa and Zion Williamson. Only one of which (De Sousa) appeared in a game for Kansas. Rather than arguing the case through the NCAA, Kansas went through the Independent Accountability Resolution Process (IARP) in hopes of a more lenient punishment.

Those hopes were realized on Wednesday.

The most serious of the penalties had Kansas vacating 15 wins from the 2017-18 season and taking down a 2018 Final Four banner as De Sousa was part of that team in the second half of the season. That would also drop Kansas back to second in the all-time wins list behind Kentucky. Kansas was also hit with three years of probation.

But given how Kansas could have been looking at postseason bans or a show-cause for Self, the lenient nature of the penalties had plenty of college hoops fans shocked.

Breaking: Kansas without Bill Self for NCAA Tournament game against Arkansas

Kansas coach Bill Self won’t be on the sidelines for the Jayhawks-Razorbacks game Saturday, per Jon Rothstein.

Kansas coach Bill Self won’t be on the Jayhawks sideline when his team meets Arkansas in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Saturday, the school announced about six hours before tip.

Self had been complaining of chest tightness and last week and visited the hospital. He had a heart catheter inserted along with two stents for blocked arteries. He was discharged Sunday.

Assistant coach Norm Roberts has taken the reins of the program since. Roberts has coached with Self for most of the last 30 years at Kansas, Illinois, Tulsa and Oral Roberts.

“We have been together for almost 25 years, so we probably do finish each other’s sentences in basketball terms,” Roberts said.

Kansas, the No. 1-seed, has not played Arkansas since the 2005-06 season at the Maui Invitational. The Razorbacks won that game, but are three-score underdogs Saturday. Tip is scheduled for 4:15 p.m. CT.

No. 8 Arkansas vs. No. 1 Kansas: How to stream, watch, listen

Arkansas will take on a number-one seed for the third consecutive NCAA tournament, this time, Kansas is on the menu. 

Arkansas advanced! They will take on a number-one seed for the third consecutive NCAA tournament; Kansas is on the menu this time.

This will only be the 14th time Kansas and Arkansas will play each other despite the proximity between the two schools. The last time they played was in 2005, Arkansas walking away with the victory.

Before 2005, the two met in the 1991 Elite 8, Arkansas playing as the No. 2- seed.

The Hogs are looking to defeat their second No. 1-seed in three seasons. In 2022, Arkansas defeated Gonzaga in the sweet sixteen before losing in the Elite 8. In 2021 they lost to Baylor, who won the National Championship.

In another article, I pointed out how the Razorbacks need a convincing win over Illinois to gain momentum for Kansas. Well, step one is complete; make sure you stay tuned to see the Hogs complete step two: Beat Kansas.

Examining the remaining Big 12 tournament field for Texas

Here’s a look at what teams are left in the Big 12 Tournament after Thursday.

The Texas Longhorns (24-8) are moving on to the Big 12 semifinals. On Thursday night, the Longhorns defeated the Oklahoma State Cowboys (18-15) in a dominant 60-47 win.

For Oklahoma State, it means they might need help to make it into the NCAA Tournament field. Texas had no conscience in regard to helping out the bubble team as it has championship aspirations that tournament seeding could aid.

Earlier in the day, Iowa State shocked Baylor 78-72. The Cyclones were able to hold on after bullying the Bears for much of the second half. It’s unclear whether or not the loss hurts Baylor all that much in its bid for a No. 2 seed. Even so, Baylor head coach Scott Drew’s team is not playing well heading into the NCAA Tournament.

Here’s a look at what teams are left in the Big 12 Tournament field.

Kansas head coach Bill Self to miss Big 12 Tournament matchup due to illness

Kansas released a statement regarding Bill Self’s status for their game against West Virginia.

When the Kansas Jayhawks take on West Virginia, they’ll be doing so without head coach Bill Self.

On Thursday morning, the school announced that Self would not be coaching in the game due to an illness. In his absence, Jayhawks assistant coach Norm Roberts will take over the head coaching duties.

According to USA TODAY Sports’s Eddie Timanus, Self was present at shootarounds on Wednesday and appeared normal.

It’s unclear at this time how long Self will be unavailable though it was later reported by multiple outlets including CBS Sports that Self was hospitalized due to the illness. His exact condition and specifics of the illness are currently unknown but in their press release, the university did state that Self was  “doing well and receiving great care at the University of Kansas Health System”.

Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

The Jayhawks this regular season went 25-5 including 13-4 in Big 12 play and entered the Big 12 Conference Tournament as the tournament’s No.1 seed.

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Kansas looks like a title contender again with the emergence of Ernest Udeh Jr.

Get familiar with Kansas’ freshman center before March rolls around

It was only a week ago that the defending national champion Kansas Jayhawks looked anything like a team capable of repeating in March.

Losses in four of their last five Big 12 contests to Kansas State, TCU, Iowa State and Baylor — all legitimate contenders to win the conference in their own right — exposed some major weaknesses in Lawrence.

Kansas was getting dominated inside. It lacked a consistent second scorer. It kept the turning the ball over too many times. And, worst of all, injuries were beginning to pile up. The deep rotation that was supposed to help the Jayhawks stay afloat was suddenly on shaky ground after big men Zach Clemence and Zuby Ejofor joined guard Bobby Pettiford on the sidelines.

Leave it to head coach Bill Self to turn a negative into positive. Buried on the bench this whole time was Ernest Udeh Jr., a McDonald’s All-American and four-star recruit last year, who was spending much of his freshman year transitioning to the college game. Which is to say the 6-foot-11 center from Orlando was not expected to become a vital part of the Jayhawks’ rotation for quite some time.

On Saturday he was unequivocally the most exciting part of No. 9 Kansas’ 78-55 beatdown at Oklahoma. Udeh played a season-high 17 minutes with eight points (all on dunks), four rebounds, two steals and two blocks. He was able to switch off defending guards and bigs without giving up any ground and picked up just one foul.

Things change fast in college basketball. If Udeh’s game continues to develop at the same pace, he may very well be the X-factor for Kansas come March.

And this is where things could get scary for teams who have to play the Jayhawks during their recent surge. Kansas is tied for second in the conference with 7.3 three-pointers made per game (Baylor leads with 9.2), yet historically Bill Self-coached teams are at their best when they can play more of a high-low offense. That means relying on a big man to establish himself in the paint and making sure he can go up and get an entry pass. It helps even more if that big man can take the entry pass and immediately score it off the lob or without a dribble. It’s what made past Kansas bigs — like Udoka Azubuike, Thomas Robinson and, later in his career, David McCormack — so difficult to defend.

Udeh suddenly appears next in line to run that action.

Kansas didn’t have that before Udeh’s recent breakout. Sophomore KJ Adams — who has arguably developed as quickly as any forward under Self — has been starting at the five, but is a bit small for the spot at 6-foot-7.

Udeh’s size and athleticism still allows Kansas to spread the floor while having a go-to option in the paint. There’s no question how much that can help take pressure off Jalen Wilson and Gradey Dick on offense — as evidence by the fact Udeh was a game-high plus-27 for Kansas off the bench, despite playing fewer minutes than each starter.

Self couldn’t wait to laud that performance once the team got back to the locker room.

The time to buy low on Kansas’ title odds may have already passed. As of Saturday, the Jayhawks are +225 to win the Big 12 and +1300 to win the NCAA title. Yet that’s still better value than you’d expect for a team with as much talent and experience as Kansas.

It’s also absolutely worth keeping an eye on Udeh’s props down the stretch and especially when the Jayhawks takes the floor in the Big 12 tournament. It would not be unlike Self to give Udeh a bigger chance to prove himself before the NCAA tournament tips off.

The Jayhawks certainly have a long way to go — including rematches against Baylor, Texas and TCU — but the path to a second straight title is starting to appear and at this point they’ll need Udeh to finish the journey.

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KU basketball’s Bill Self to serve as Chiefs’ drum honoree vs. Raiders

#Jayhawks men’s basketball coach Bill Self will serve as the #Chiefs’ drum honoree against the #Raiders, plus more information on game entertainment for Week 5:

The Kansas City Chiefs have chosen their drum honoree for the Week 5 “Monday Night Football” game against the Las Vegas Raiders at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.

University of Kansas Jayhawks men’s basketball head coach and two-time national champion Bill Self will be in the Chiefs Kingdom on Monday night to serve as the team’s drum leader. Everyone is enamored with the undefeated Kansas Jayhawks football team right now, but it’s hard to forget that Self led the Jayhawks to a 34‑6 record and a national title win earlier this year.

Now, Self will get a chance to get Chiefs fans prepared to defeat their AFC West rival ahead of kickoff, pounding the drum on the GEHA Drum Deck and getting fans hyped up for the game. He’ll be joined on the drum deck by breast cancer survivor Renee Jeria, who will be the game’s Tony DiPardo Spirit Leader.

Other pregame entertainment will include a national anthem performance by GRAMMY-winning artist Erica Campbell. The Overland Park Police department will present the colors during the anthem. The U.S. Air Force Academy’s Parachute team, Wings of Blue, will have a pregame performance landing in the stadium.

Week 5 also serves as the Chiefs’ Crucial Catch game, which promotes the prevention & early detection of cancer. Following the conclusion of the first quarter, there will be an “I Cheer For” moment for this week’s Crucial Catch theme. Halftime will also include a special tribute featuring seven survivors and their doctors from The University of Kansas Health System.

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KU basketball’s Bill Self to serve as Chiefs’ drum honoree vs. Raiders

#Jayhawks men’s basketball coach Bill Self will serve as the #Chiefs’ drum honoree against the #Raiders, plus more information on game entertainment for Week 5:

The Kansas City Chiefs have chosen their drum honoree for the Week 5 “Monday Night Football” game against the Las Vegas Raiders at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.

University of Kansas Jayhawks men’s basketball head coach and two-time national champion Bill Self will be in the Chiefs Kingdom on Monday night to serve as the team’s drum leader. Everyone is enamored with the undefeated Kansas Jayhawks football team right now, but it’s hard to forget that Self led the Jayhawks to a 34‑6 record and a national title win earlier this year.

Now, Self will get a chance to get Chiefs fans prepared to defeat their AFC West rival ahead of kickoff, pounding the drum on the GEHA Drum Deck and getting fans hyped up for the game. He’ll be joined on the drum deck by breast cancer survivor Renee Jeria, who will be the game’s Tony DiPardo Spirit Leader.

Other pregame entertainment will include a national anthem performance by GRAMMY-winning artist Erica Campbell. The Overland Park Police department will present the colors during the anthem. The U.S. Air Force Academy’s Parachute team, Wings of Blue, will have a pregame performance landing in the stadium.

Week 5 also serves as the Chiefs’ Crucial Catch game, which promotes the prevention & early detection of cancer. Following the conclusion of the first quarter, there will be an “I Cheer For” moment for this week’s Crucial Catch theme. Halftime will also include a special tribute featuring seven survivors and their doctors from The University of Kansas Health System.

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Bill Self told Kansas to ‘Take it right at their [expletive]’ in title game speech

“Take care of business tonight and you’ll never be forgotten.”

At the end of every Kansas basketball season, the team holds a banquet that’s part celebration, part roast and part remembrance of what’s typically a pretty successful season.

Having won the NCAA national championship less than two weeks ago, this year’s festivities certainly leaned into those themes. To kick things off on Thursday, the program showed an incredible video highlighting the biggest games and moments of the season leading up to the Final Four in New Orleans.

Once it got there, the school showed newly released footage of head coach Bill Self giving his team one final (and mildly expletive-laden) pep talk before taking the court against North Carolina for the title.

(h/t Kansas Athletics)

“You guys will be loved forever, but Danny [Manning is] right. Take care of business tonight and you’ll never be forgotten. Ok? Never be forgotten. You deserve to be here. You deserve to play in this game and I damn guarantee you we deserve to win. Ok? You’re not going to win by hoping it happens. You’re going to win it by going out playing one possession at a time and, as Nick Collison said, ‘hold the moment, play where your feet are’. Ok? Your mind is where your feet are. Always thinking next play, ok?

“I know you’re excited. You should be excited. Maybe a few nerves. Let’s take it out on defense and rebounding. You guys all understand that. Share the ball and the most aggressive team wins. Take it right at their a****. You guys got it? You ready to go? Let’s go have some fun.”

Whew. Yeah, that’ll get you going. For a program that prides itself on the history of the game, referencing Danny Manning and Nick Collison are sure to get the blood pumping a bit faster.

The speech has some shades of what Self told his team before winning the 2008 title with Manning serving as KU’s assistant coach. Self said the players can “ask Danny” about what playing on this stage means.

Whether or not the speech worked in 2022 is up for debate. Kansas came out and knocked down an Ochai Agbaji three to open the scoring, but quickly fell behind, facing a 15-point deficit at halftime.

Not long after, the Jayhawks completed the largest comeback in title game history to knock off the Tar Heels and hang a sixth championship banner at Allen Fieldhouse. No one may ever know for sure what Self told the team at the break—we’ll at least have to wait a few years before the full story comes out—but former KU great Paul Pierce had a pretty good idea what was happening in that locker room at the time.

Hard to argue against The Truth there. Whatever was said, it clearly worked.

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