Former KU, Creighton guard Bahe issues tribute to his first college coach, Bill Self
Former Kansas and Creighton basketball player Nick Bahe spent 20 minutes of his hour-long podcast Wednesday offering a touching tribute to 17th-year Jayhawk coach Bill Self.
“I want to illustrate how good of a guy Bill Self is,” said Bahe, in beginning his podcast with an extended introduction of Self, who appeared as the show’s sole guest.
Bahe, a 6-foot-2 combo guard from Lincoln, Nebraska, played on Self’s first two KU teams (2003-04, 04-05) before transferring to Creighton for his junior and senior campaigns.
Bahe — his original commitment to attend KU came when Roy Williams was coach, and was reaffirmed when Williams left for North Carolina and Self departed Illinois for KU in the spring of 2003 — said he never expected Self to treat him as well as he has through the years, especially since it was Bahe’s idea to leave KU over playing-time concerns.
“In 2016,” the 35-year-old Bahe told his podcast audience, “I had some major health issues. I had two strokes in my cerebellum and had a tumor in my thymus gland, which is right at the top of your sternum. I needed surgery to remove the tumor ... we didn’t know if it was cancer.
“The very first phone call I got (when he was in hospital prepping for surgery) — the first one — was from Bill Self,” Bahe continued. “That voicemail meant so much to me that I saved it. I’m going to play it now for you all (audience) to understand how good a person this is.”
Bahe said he consulted his parents to see if they thought it was proper to make the voicemail public in appreciation of his first college hoops coach (Dana Altman was his second). They gave their son the OK.
“I hear you are having exploratory stuff (surgery) done.,” Self said in the voicemail. “I just wanted to let you know I’m thinking about you. I only coached you a year but there’s nobody I respect more, I think you are a total stud.
“I just wanted to tell you I’m thinking about you, praying for you. Hang in there. Stay positive. I know you will. That’s the only way you know how to be. Don’t worry about getting back to me. I look forward to hearing how it (surgery) goes and certainly am hoping for the best and coach (Norm) Roberts is here and coach (Kurtis) Townsend and they send the same message.”
Bahe said “two or three days” after successful surgery — the tumor was benign — Self left another voicemail, which Bahe also preserved.
“Thinking of you, bud. Hoping you are doing as well as can be, praying for good news. If you feel up to it, I’m always here to visit,” Self told Bahe.
Bahe choked back tears after playing the voicemails.
“That is emotional for me to listen to again,” Bahe said. “When you are going through something serious in life … I didn’t know if I had cancer. My daughter was born a month prior to that. You find out a lot about yourself and your circle of people — phone calls and voicemails like that mean the world to me.
“Four years later, I have those voicemails saved. They mean a ton especially from someone I love and respect as much as Coach Self. That’s just who he is. I only played for the guy two years. I transferred. I left there and this guy still cares about me as a person enough to call. I can’t believe I was so lucky to play for him. I can’t tell you how proud I am to call him a friend; somebody I admire and look up to big-time.”
Bahe, who hosted radio shows in Nebraska 10 years, now focuses on his work as a college basketball analyst for Fox as well as hosting his own podcast. On his most current podcast he offered some examples of how Self’s kept him a part of the KU program.
In the spring of 2008, Bahe attended one of KU’s NCAA Tournament games in Omaha.
“I was playing in the NIT against Rhode Island on Monday or Tuesday (for Omaha school Creighton). Kansas played Thursday,” Bahe said. “I get in touch with Jeremy Case (one of Bahe’s closest friends) who was on the (KU) team. He says coach Self wants me to come to the team hotel and see the team. I go to the hotel. Coach had me get up in front of the team. I did my impression of coach Self in front of the eventual national champs.”
“Sherron (Collins), Mario (Chalmers), Darrell Arthur, that group … I sat in on their film session. I was currently a Creighton guard who transferred away and he makes me feel like I’m part of the program..”
Bahe’s final story involved Self’s induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in September of 2017.
“Coach gets inducted and invites all his former players to attend the ceremony (in Springfield, Massachusetts). Who got an invitation? Me,” Bahe said. “I couldn’t believe it. I almost wanted to get back to him and say, ‘Are you sure you didn’t want to send this (invitation) to someone else?’’’
Bahe attended the ceremony, as well as a post-enshrinement party in Springfield. He remains in contact with KU’s coach, saying he appreciates Self’s friendship and support as he embarks further on his broadcasting career.
“As a player he treated me and coached me just like everyone else. He treated me just like Aaron Miles, our point guard stud. He treated me like J..R. Giddens, a five-star McDonald’s All American. He wrapped his arms around me,” Bahe said. “He’s a tough coach. He’ll get on your ass. He demands a lot out of you Every day he is challenging you (but) he is fair. Playing for him was incredible. He hasn’t had the success he’s had by accident. You aren’t in the basketball Hall of Fame by accident.”
Bahe by the way, explained that his decision to leave KU was solely over projected minutes. He deduced he’d be the fifth or sixth guard on the roster behind KU’s star-studded cast of players.
Self said this to Bahe at the conclusion of his 30-minute spot on the podcast: “I think you probably had more of an impact in your two years (despite) not playing much as many have in four years from an intangible standpoint. You did more for us than I ever probably told you you did.”
This week, Self told The Star: “You know Nick. He’s the best.”
Bahe’s response to The Star: “Coach Self ... he’s been so good to me.”
Transfer rule likely to stay the same for now
The NCAA Division I Board of Directors and presidential council have recommended there be no changes to the transfer rule for men’s basketball and football, CBSsports.com and ESPN.com reported Thursday.
The two groups believe underclassmen should continue to sit out a year if they decide to transfer from one school to another.
According to CBSsports.com, “The NCAA board simply concluded the one-time transfer concept was too complicated to recommend pursuing it right now as it will require formal legislation — instead of a mere tweak to existing transfer rules.”
The board did allow for a vote on this matter by the NCAA Division I Council on May 20. If it passes, players could be allowed to transfer and be immediately eligible to play in games for their new schools as early as the upcoming 2020-21 school year.
KU coach Bill Self said on Bahe’s podcast he was against any changes to the transfer rule:
“Now (if rule changes) there’s going to be 2,500 to 3,000 kids transferring every year just in our sport and where do you draw the line?” Self said. “What’s the drop-dead date you can transfer? Can you transfer the first day before classes? Can you just leave universities and programs high and dry because somebody else on another team transferred and a scholarship became open? (Coaches may say), ‘We’re just going to get this guy so he can transfer and fill that void?’ It’s not going to be positive. There are cases it could be positive, but as a whole regarding our sport, I don’t think it’s good.”
The graduate transfer rule is expected to stay the same for the foreseeable future. Players who have earned a degree entering their senior year of college are allowed to transfer and become immediately eligible.
