KU’s Wilson confident Bill Self will coach NCAA opener; Hall of Famer is ‘day-to-day’
Jalen Wilson expressed great confidence Wednesday that Hall of Famer Bill Self will be in Wells Fargo Arena coaching the Kansas Jayhawks on Thursday afternoon in the defending national champion’s 2023 first-round NCAA Tournament West Regional contest.
Tip for the opener between the No. 1 seed Jayhawks (27-7) and No. 16 Howard Bison (22-12) is 1 p.m. with a live broadcast on TBS.
“We know coach’s role. He will be coaching. He’s doing everything he’s been doing. He was down for a while for the Big 12 (Tournament), but he’s back, he’s energized and excited and ready to get this going again. We’re super excited to have him back, so we know we will have him,” junior forward Wilson said at Wednesday’s pre-NCAA tourney media availability at Wells Fargo Arena, where the Jayhawks held a short shootaround after a full practice at Drake University.
Self, who because of last week’s heart catheterization missed the entire Big 12 Tournament, worked the practice at Drake Wednesday, but not the 40-minute shootaround at the site of the tourney games.
“He’s looking great, feeling great. We were able to talk to him today at practice and he’s excited,” Wilson said. “We’re all excited. It’s great to have him back on the court with us. For him to be able to coach us and start off tomorrow with a bang.”
Acting head coach Norm Roberts, who coached the Jayhawks in victories against West Virginia and Iowa State and a loss to Texas at the Big 12 Tournament, has been providing almost daily updates on Self’s condition to media.
“He’s doing well today. He was at practice today. He was at practice last night and all of our meetings,” Roberts said. “He’s doing well. He’s getting better all the time. We’re hopeful and everything is day-to-day with him, but if you ask our guys he got after them pretty good today so he was doing really well.”
Roberts made those comments at the official NCAA news conference (in which he filled in for Self) prior to the noon-hour shootaround. After the shootaround, Roberts was asked point blank if he expected Self to coach the team against Howard.
“Everything is day-to-day,” Roberts said, repeating a common refrain in days following Self’s catheterization at University of Kansas Health System. “He’s doing really good. We’re hopeful he will (coach on game day). He got after the guys and everything.”
Is he the “same ol’ Bill?” Roberts was asked by one reporter.
“The players will tell you it’s same ol’ Bill without a doubt,” Roberts said.
If Self does coach the Jayhawks on Thursday, chances are he won’t be doing much yelling at players or refs.
“Obviously they want him to tone it back a little bit, but he has not been told anything like that through the doctors,” Roberts said.
Roberts informed a reporter that Self was back at the team hotel resting during the time of the KU news conference and shootaround.
“Maybe he thinks I talk too much and he’s letting me talk more,” Roberts said with a smile. “But he’s back (at the hotel) getting rest right now. He’s doing good, though.”
Both KU senior Kevin McCullar (back spasms) and freshman Gradey Dick (tweaked his back against Texas on Saturday) told reporters they are 100% healthy entering the NCAAs.
In addressing their status, Roberts said: “Both guys practiced full speed today and had great bounce to them.”
Roberts said the Jayhawks had “two pretty good practices” Wednesday, including the shootaround.
Asked if the players liked the rims in Wells Fargo Arena, Roberts said: “I hope so. Some shots went in. It’s always good to get in the arena you are playing (in), get some shots up. The guys did a good job of that today.”
There were a good number of KU fans at the workout. Several youths leaned over a railing to watch the Jayhawks exit through an arena tunnel and head to their locker room after the shootaround.
“It’s going to be a great atmosphere,” Roberts said of the KU-Howard game. “The NCAA Tournament is always like that. That’s why you always want to play as close to home as possible.”
The players are embracing the atmosphere of the postseason.
“I don’t feel any pressure at all. The beauty of this tournament is it’s a lot of one-game tournaments. This is win or go home. I embrace having fun,” Wilson said.
“This is the best time of year for basketball. Even when I was a kid watching, this is the best time of year. To experience everything, see all the basketball, because I’m not only getting to play but able it to watch a lot of good basketball. I don’t feel any pressure at all. I think we’re here to do what we know how to do, play our basketball and have fun.”
Point guard Dajuan Harris, who faces a stern test guarding Howard lead guard Elijah Hawkins, said: “Come and play our best basketball, stay together, stay locked in, have coach’s back and you gotta win — keep winning and hopefully make another great run.”
If KU defeats Howard it would meet either Arkansas or Illinois at a time yet to be determined Saturday in Des Moines. Winner of the KU-Arkansas/Illinois game would head to Las Vegas on Tuesday in advance of next Thursday’s Sweet 16 action in Nevada.
