KU basketball coach Bill Self ‘confident’ Jayhawks will compete in NCAA Tournament
Kansas men’s basketball coach Bill Self said he believes the Jayhawks will participate in the 2021 NCAA Tournament despite having to withdraw from the Big 12 tourney Friday because of COVID-19 protocols.
“We are still confident obviously we will go to Indianapolis Monday and hopefully still be seeded in a pretty good slot. I think we should be,” Self said Friday afternoon, three hours after KU’s Friday semifinal game against Texas was canceled.
Self said one player, who he did not identify, “tested positive” Friday, which forced cancellation of the Texas game. The coach said that player would not be able to travel with the team Monday to Indianapolis. Self said, “It’d be close; I’m not sure,” when asked if the player who tested positive would be able to play on the opening weekend of the NCAA tourney.
Self said David McCormack and Tristan Enaruna, who are in isolation in Lawrence as part of COVID-19 protocols, will travel to Indianapolis (as will the player who tested positive) on their own later next week, if eligible to play in the tournament.
A player must test negative for seven consecutive days to enter the NCAA “bubble” in Indy.
“Our tentative plan,” Self said, “is to take the day off (Friday). There’s really no reason to do much. We’ve got a couple guys nicked up. Then we practice tomorrow and Sunday and then, depending on our flight time to Indy, practice before we leave.”
Self said the Jayhawks team, which is remaining in Kansas City, “are not quarantined. We are in a bubble. We’ve quarantined in our own group, not through a stricter standard than before. We feel we have unbelievable safeguards in place to help us.”
The coach described his team as “very disappointed” Friday’s semifinal was called off.
“Obviously we were coming into our own,” Self said. “We’ve gone through some stuff. Not having David and Tristan (for Thursday’s quarterfinal win over Oklahoma) was a blow. We didn’t skip a beat last night. They (players) feel they are coming into their own. They are disappointed we can’t compete.
“We didn’t win the league. Baylor did, hands down. We didn’t have a chance to play for a championship. That’s disappointing to our guys. We may not have won, but somebody would have had to play well (to defeat the Jayhawks).”
Self said the situation is similar to a year ago, when KU received word in a downtown KC hotel that the Big 12 tourney was ending prematurely due to COVID concerns at the outset of the pandemic.
“I was reminded it was 364 days ago, the same hotel at the same time of day,” Self said. “It was the same setting with the players.
“To me, this year feels different, though. It almost feels worse this year, because last year we didn’t have to go through so many sacrifices to put ourselves in position to go to the (Big 12) tournament. It was taken from everybody because of the virus. This year, with protocols, safeguards, we’ve done so well. So many sacrifices have been made. The kids have been so responsible.
“To have the Big 12 Tournament taken away. ... You are negative, negative, negative, and a positive pops up. Last year was a blow. Last year was a knockout punch (that Big 12 and NCAA tournaments were called off). This year it’s a blow that knocks you down. Obviously, you will get up. The end game is not affected this year. The short-term deal, of course, you don’t feel very good.
“The end game … it does put pressure on us to prepare in a very unique way very few teams have had to going into the NCAA Tournament.”
Self didn’t know how practice would be run with some players missing.
“You prepare without a full complement of guys knowing you could get your full complement of guys,” he said. “It’ll be different.”
This story was originally published March 12, 2021 at 5:03 PM.
