Kansas Jayhawks coach Bill Self praises Baylor’s Scott Drew at the Final Four
Big 12 men’s basketball coaches have been quick to congratulate Bill Self for directing his Kansas Jayhawks to four victories in the NCAA Tournament and spot in the Final Four.
“Our coaches pull for each other verbally and through text very well,” Self, KU’s 19th-year coach, told a group of college students attending a U.S. Basketball Writers Association workshop on Friday afternoon in the Caesars Superdome, site of KU’s Final Four semifinal game against Villanova (5:09 p.m. Saturday on TBS).
Self and KU senior guard Ochai Agbaji attended a short interview session conducted by the workshop attendees.
“I actually think Scott Drew has been a great advocate for our league in what he did on CBS last weekend. I thought it was great. He is certainly a team player with our league,” Self added.
CBS Sports and Turner Sports hired Baylor coach Drew to work as a guest studio analyst for regional semifinal coverage on TBS and CBS.
Drew joined the Atlanta studio team with host Ernie Johnson and analysts Candace Parker, Seth Davis and Rex Chapman.
“The coaches have been supportive. We all have our own things going on that are very important to the success of our programs, even if not playing at this moment. I think our league definitely pulls for each other,” Self stated.
Baylor’s Drew also has been a Big 12 booster on Twitter. He posted congratulations to Iowa State for a great season after the Cyclones’ season-ending loss to Miami in the Sweet 16. He also had a Tweet asking Baylor fans to root for Kansas and KU fans to root for Baylor during first- and second-round games in the Fort Worth, Texas site in which both squads were assigned.
Self was asked by the student group on Friday if playing against tough teams in the Big 12 has prepared the Jayhawks for Villanova, which is known for rugged defense.
“I don’t know if Villanova defensively is similar in all aspects to the way some of teams in our league play from a technique standpoint,” Self said. “From a philosophical standpoint, load-up, don’t let the ball touch the paint, take away your bigs. Make you earn everything. Make you play five-on-five. Those are all from a philosophical standpoint similar and I believe our league has helped us. It doesn’t guarantee anything. If anything it helped us play against another great defensive team like Villanova,” Self added.
Villanova will be the fourth Big East team KU will have played this season. The Jayhawks beat St. John’s 95-75 on Dec. 3 in New York. In the NCAAs, KU beat Creighton (79-72) and Providence (66-61).
“Creighton was a tough out for us,” Self said. “They played great. They were coming off the game in which Ryan (Kalkbrenner) was hurt (late in win over San Diego State). They were not at full strength. They let it go.
“Providence labored against us first half, played unbelievable the second half. We had to make some plays down the stretch. If anything those two games will prepare us for how tough this game will be, even tougher. They’ve got our respect,” he added of the (30-7) Wildcats. If those two teams (Creighton and Providence) struggled with Villanova during the year — Providence lost to them twice (89-84 and 76-74); Creighton went 1-2 (vs. ‘Nova) — those teams have our respect right there.”
This story was originally published April 1, 2022 at 6:03 PM.
