Self says KU has turned in NCAA regional preference, isn’t worried about coronavirus
If KU on Sunday is awarded the overall No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, the Jayhawks will be allowed to choose the regional they wish to participate in.
KU turned in its choice for a preferred regional on Sunday night. The Midwest Regional in Indianapolis is closest to Lawrence. The South Regional in Houston could also be an option.
But Jayhawks coach Bill Self said Monday he will not reveal the choice.
“We all did … the administration, everybody talked about it,” Self said of KU officials deciding on a potential regional for the overall No. 1 seed. “It is a hypothetical obviously but if we get a chance to talk about it, that means we probably will have done fairly well this weekend (at Big 12 Tournament).
“We’ll talk about it (to media) if we need to when the time is right. If we don’t (get No. 1 seed), we don’t. We’re in position it could happen. We’ll wait and talk about it if it does.”
Self not worried about virus
Self was asked if he’s concerned the coronavirus could ultimately force the NCAA Tournament to be played in buildings with no fans.
“I am not (concerned). Guys … I’ve had enough stuff to think about, to worry about in recent weeks or months to predict what the status of America’s health is going to be,” Self said “We all hope and pray for the best. Whatever happens we’ll deal with and adjust. That’s something we obviously have no control over. It would obviously be sad for our sport. If it is happening with us it’s going to happen with Major League Baseball. It’s going to happen in the NBA. It’s going to happen with a lot of things going on.”
On a lighter note, Self conceded it would be odd playing games with no fans
“Think about a coach yelling at an official with nobody in the gym,” Self said. “The sportsmanship code would certainly be stressed in that situation because everything you say will become public. I do think it would be different. Certainly it’ll take away, but if you have teams competing for a championship, the drive and adrenaline would still be there obviously.”
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Sign upThis story was originally published March 9, 2020 at 3:58 PM.
