Self says Azubuike 'full speed' entering Clemson game; Jayhawks arrive in Omaha

Kansas sophomore center Udoka Azubuike remains on schedule to start and play significant minutes in the Jayhawks’ NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 contest against Clemson on Friday night at CenturyLink Center.

“It’s the healthiest, knock on wood, that we’ve been in a long time,” KU coach Bill Self said Wednesday night, addressing the media after the team’s 8:30 p.m. arrival at the Omaha Marriott Downtown.

“Doke is full speed. Now his timing may not be great but his health is good,” Self added of the 7-foot, 280-pounder, who sprained the medial collateral ligament in his left knee March 6. “If we take him out, it’s probably because he picks up two silly fouls early, not because of any type of (injury) problems, unless something unforeseen happens moving forward. We are excited to have him out there full speed.”

KU’s coach is pleased the Sweet 16 game tips off at 6:07 p.m. The Jayhawks’ first two tourney games were held on Thursday and Saturday in Wichita.

“We thought we caught a little bit of a bad break playing Thursday/Saturday the first weekend. What it turned out to be would be a good break playing Friday and (if KU wins) Sunday this weekend because we were able to give him (Azubuike) Sunday and Monday off and Devonté (Graham) and Svi (Mykhailiuk) basically (Sunday and Monday off as well). We should be as rested as we’ve been going into Friday,” Self said.

On Thursday, for the first time in a long time before the first game of a weekend at a NCAA Tournament site, there will be no KU shootaround that is open to the public. The NCAA eliminated the shootarounds before Sweet 16 games this year, letting the teams hold a full practice instead. Media will be allowed to watch 15 minutes. Fans will not be permitted inside the arena.

“It’s a good rule change. It really is,” Self said. “What it does … fans still get a chance (to attend open shootaround) the first weekend. It makes for such a long day. The media sessions are longer. You still practice an hour and a half then you have to go to another site to do your real practice. This is a nice adjustment (having just one practice instead of two).”

KU will be playing at CenturyLink Center for the fourth postseason in the 15-year Self era.

“I was trying to figure it out. Are we 5-1 here?” Self asked.

The answer is "yes."

KU beat Portland State and UNLV in its first two tourney games in Omaha en route to the NCAA title in 2007-08. The Jayhawks beat Detroit and Purdue in their first two tourney games in Omaha en route to an NCAA runner-up finish in 2011-12. In 2014-15, KU went 1-1 here, beating New Mexico State, then losing to Wichita State in the second round.

“If you count 1988, they (Jayhawks) started in Lincoln (Neb.) and won the first two games in Lincoln. It’s been pretty good to us. The last time we played here it wasn’t very good,” Self said. “We didn’t play very well at all. We’re happy to be here and hopefully our fans will turn out. I’m sure they will.”

Bench talk

Self says he’s hoping for good production from KU’s bench in Omaha.

“There's a lot of people that like to go eight deep. And with the emergence of Silvio (De Sousa), I feel like we can,” Self said.

In all, seven Jayhawks played 10 or more minutes in a first-round win over Penn (Udoka Azubuike netting three minutes, Marcus Garrett 22 and De Sousa 10). Seven Jayhawks played 14 or more minutes in a second-round win over Seton Hall. Marcus Garrett played 14 and De Sousa 4, while Azubuike logged 22.

“One thing with our bench that we haven't been able to do, we haven't been able to play different ways. We haven't been able to play small and big because we haven't had time to practice and all these things. So we are who we are,” Self said. “We’re not going to change from this point forward. But I do think the emergence of Marcus and certainly the emergence of Silvio with the healthy Doke, I think there's a lot of teams out there that would like to have a rotation of eight, and I think that's plenty this time of year as long as injuries or foul problems don't creep up.”

Self passes Roy on win list

Self owns KU’s most victories as a coach in the NCAA Tournament. The Jayhawks’ victory over Seton Hall last Saturday upped his record to 35-13 in 15 seasons and 15 tournaments. Roy Williams was 34-14 at KU in 15 seasons and 14 tournaments at KU.

“You coach at a place as long as I have, 15 years — and I think Roy was here 15 years, too — and you have as many good players as what we've had and as many good teams, you should win some games,“ Self said. “I don't look at that as a monumental thing at all. To me that doesn't even register on the care meter at all.”

This story was originally published March 21, 2018 at 10:52 PM with the headline "Self says Azubuike 'full speed' entering Clemson game; Jayhawks arrive in Omaha."