KU coach Bill Self spoke with Jayhawks before, after win over ISU. Here was his message
Bill Self, who remains under doctors’ care at the University of Kansas Health System, was unable to make it over to the Hilton President Downtown Kansas City Hotel to join his KU basketball players for breakfast and scouting report on Friday morning.
The Jayhawks’ 20th-year coach, who had a “standard (medical) procedure” performed at the KC hospital on Wednesday night, still was able to communicate with his Jayhawks, however.
Self’s voice was heard loud and clear on speakerphone, the coach serious at times and cracking jokes at other junctures.
“It was a good relief to talk to coach,” KU sophomore forward KJ Adams said after scoring eight points and grabbing four rebounds in the Jayhawks’ 71-58 Big 12 Tournament semifinal victory over Iowa State on Friday night at T-Mobile Center.
The victory propelled the Jayhawks (27-6) into Saturday’s 5 p.m. finals.
“Coach Self is always one of those people to crack jokes and lighten up the room. It was good to hear his voice and a good relief,” Adams added.
Adams was not surprised Self kept the mood light at breakfast despite being in the hospital at this time.
“He always cracks jokes. He’s coach Self,” Adams said. “He’s always goofy and likes to lighten the mood. He cracks jokes about us all the time, hit Gradey in the head a couple times.”
Gradey is Gradey Dick, KU’s freshman wing who scored 15 points with five rebounds and three steals versus the Cyclones (19-13). Fill-in KU coach Norm Roberts said after the game Self joked about Dick’s defense in the pregame talk.
“He was on speakerphone for a little pregame scout. He was his normal self, letting us know what we can do better (and) that he’s looking forward to full recovery,” Dick said. “By the sound of his voice, he was his same old self. ... He sounded good.”
Roberts, who improved to 6-0 this season as KU’s acting head coach (counting four wins to open the season when Self was under self-imposed sanctions regarding KU’s case with the NCAA), explained more about the breakfast session with the team.
“Coach is doing a lot better,” Roberts said. “He talked to the team this morning at breakfast, in fact had a long conversation with them, told them how proud he was of the way they played” in Thursday’s 78-61 quarterfinal win over West Virginia.
“He let the players know (the ISU game) was going to be a war, that we’ve got to ratchet it up and play better than we did (in Ames in a 15-point loss on Feb. 4),” Roberts continued. “Everybody’s got to be connected. He said, ‘Just go out there, continue to play the right way and play Kansas basketball.’ It was great.”
Self also chatted with KU’s coaches after a semifinal game in which Jalen Wilson scored 11 of KU’s first 13 points and finished with 25 overall and 10 rebounds (plus three steals and seven turnovers).
Dajuan Harris scored 11 points, dished six assists and had four steals on a night Kevin McCullar played just 12 minutes (one in the second half) because of back spasms. Roberts said McCullar is listed day-to-day and would play in the final only if he’s cleared to go by KU’s medical staff.
Asked how Self makes contact with the coaches so quickly after games (he also did so after the West Virginia game), Roberts said: “He actually talks to Sean Lester (KU associate AD). Coach calls Sean and we get him on the speakerphone. So it’s like ‘Charlie’s Angels.’ We all say, ‘Hey Charlie,’’’ Roberts joked, referring to the old TV show and movie in which the three “Angels” keep in contact with their boss Charlie via speakerphone.
“He (Self) talked to all the coaches and said he was proud what we did and was so happy for the guys. Yes, he was really happy.”
Of Self’s condition, Roberts said: “He’s just getting better. He’s so excited about how (well) the guys played. He gets excited about defense more than anything and said, ‘Hey, we really guarded today.’’’
