KU Jayhawks complete Big 12 season; Self hopes ‘luck’ in avoiding COVID-19 continues
Kansas is the first of 10 Big 12 teams to complete the marathon regular-season slate of 18 conference games.
The Jayhawks, who capped a 12-6 season by defeating previously undefeated Baylor, 71-58, on Saturday at Allen Fieldhouse, do not need to play any make-up games caused by COVID-19 stoppages from Sunday until the start of the postseason tournament on March 10 at T-Mobile Center.
Kansas State has just one league game remaining, while the other eight squads would need to play anywhere between three and seven games to be able to max out at 18 contests. The way it’s been settled is Baylor, Oklahoma State, TCU, Texas, Texas Tech, West Virginia and Iowa State still have three league games to play and Oklahoma two.
“Let’s not jinx it yet,” KU coach Bill Self said after Saturday’s game, asked about his squad managing to avoid COVID-19 delays during the long conference season. “But yes, Doc Magee (Larry, team doctor), Bill Cowgill (trainer) and Randall (Jeff, team doctor), they’re the best. And the rest of the group (including trainer Ramsey Nijem), too.
“Bill has been on top of this like nobody. But still,” Self added, “one positive (COVID test) from this point forward could solely derail an individual and potentially a team, so we have to stay focused. It’s hard to do when your family is all in town and things like that, but we have to mask up. We have to distance. We’ve got to do some things because I do think there are no guarantees.”
Self said he mostly credits “luck” for the Jayhawks making through the season without any team stoppages because of COVID-19 protocols. The KU-Tarleton State game in December was called off because of COVID protocols in Tarleton’s program, not KU’s.
KU has set up a game with UTEP for 7 p.m. Thursday night at Allen Fieldhouse, to replace that Tarleton contest and ideally keep the Jayhawks sharp for the postseason.
“I’d like to say we do everything right. We don’t. It’s luck,” Self added of avoiding COVID.
He did note in a recent interview, “We are unique in that we’ve got a dormitory (McCarthy Hall) that we’re the only ones in there. You can’t enter the dorm if you can’t get fingerprinted to get in and you can’t bring guests in. We’ve been able to keep our players away from the people they love the most, their families. On road trips if they want to talk they have to wear masks. Players have to wear goggles and there is a 15-minute limit. You have to be socially distanced in a room and we have a compliance person monitoring it,” Self added.
Also, the equipment in the weight room is constantly being cleaned during and after use. Self said everything considered, he’s pleased with the No. 17-ranked squad’s 18-8 record and 12-6 league mark.
“This isn’t the best team we’ve had by any stretch or anything like that, or the most talented, but I do think on any one night this team can play as good as any of them. And I think that was evident tonight, so we need to do everything we possibly can to put ourselves in a position, where we can finish as strong as we can. I still think our best ball is ahead of us,” Self said.
Self was especially impressed with KU’s defense in the Big 12 finale against Baylor. The Bears hit 34.8% of their shots and were 6 of 26 from three. KU outrebounded Baylor, 48-28.
“The fans were great and of course my guys were great. Every one of them played their tails off,” Self said.” We guarded and we rebounded the heck out of the ball. And it was a terrific, terrific game. Everybody played terrific. Everybody had their moments and certainly I could go down the list (of players).”
He was especially impressed with senior point guard Marcus Garrett, who scored 14 points, grabbed seven rebounds and helped hold high-scoring BU guard Jared Butler to just five points. Butler scored 30 points in BU’s 77-69 win over KU on Jan. 18 in Waco, Texas.
“Just for everybody to see how respectable No. 0 (Garrett) really is as a basketball player tonight was terrific,” Self said on his postgame radio show.
“He was so turned up which makes me feel like he needs to be that way more often, but he was committed to guard. When he sits down in a stance, it’s almost intimidating what he looks like guarding a guy. Butler had five points and I don’t know if any of them were on Marcus. Teague (MaCio, 18 points) scored on Marcus in the first half on a back cut, but I mean he’s like (defensive back) Deion Sanders was when he was MVP (in NFL). He just can eliminate one side of the field and he eliminates one guy. I’m realy proud of everybody, but I’m especially happy that he went out in style like this (on his Senior Night).”
Injury update: Self said freshman guard Latrell Jossell, who wore a boot on his right foot Saturday and did not dress for the game, has a foot injury that could keep him out a significant amount of time. Self said it is a similar injury to one Jossell suffered in high school. Freshman forward Gethro Muscadin, who also did not dress for the game, has a bruised lower leg and is day to day, Self said.
