Bill Self addresses fan support for KU-Colorado: ‘Bottom line is we need everybody’
Coach Bill Self stated a clear desire on Monday as the Kansas men’s basketball team enters a pivotal stretch of games.
He wants support from the Jayhawk faithful, no matter the circumstance.
KU will host a struggling Colorado squad on Tuesday night. The Buffs have lost 12 straight games.
Still, Self wants Allen Fieldhouse to be packed. A KU Athletics official confirmed to The Star that the game is sold out. The Jayhawks have a longstanding consecutive sellout streak (more than 360 games), but there have been empty seats at various games.
“We could use weather as an excuse possibly,” Self said on why Tuesday’s game could have empty seats.
A winter storm warning is in place from 6 p.m. Tuesday to 6 p.m. Wednesday. According to Weather.com, the chance of snow in Lawrence on Tuesday night is 90%, and 1 to 3 inches could accumulate.
The KU Athletics official said all games for this season are sold out, though KU on Jan. 30 sent out a promotional email offering two tickets to the Colorado game with a $10 concessions voucher for $50. Various ticket-resale sites list KU games for as low as $20.
A potential reason for empty seats in some games is that the Jayhawks (16-7, 7-5 Big 12) have hovered around .500 in league play. They’ve lost twice at home.
It hasn’t been the conference season Self or the players expected. Beyond that, the Kansas crowds have been a hot topic throughout the season.
In January, Self said of the Jayhawks’ fan support: “I don’t feel the student hype the way I used to.”
In another recent game, fans chanted for freshman Flory Bidunga to play at the start. Self said afterward the students have the right “to chant whatever they want,” at another point stating it was frustrating for some not to “see the big picture” regarding the importance of seniors KJ Adams and Dajuan Harris.
“We are 16-7 and ranked 17th in the country,” Self said on Monday. “Granted, it hasn’t been the conference season any of us wanted so far, but the bottom line is there have been a lot of teams that wish they were ranked 17th in the country.
“So I understand the disappointment, totally, and frustration because we get frustrated, too. But there’s still another gear that we can get to and there’s still a ton to play for.”
Self pointed out that the Colorado coaching staff has some former KU players on it: head coach Tad Boyle and Buffs assistant coach Danny Manning, who is the Jayhawks’ all-time leading scorer. Self believes their return is another reason KU fans should attend Tuesday’s game.
“The bottom line is we need everybody,” Self said. “Our guys are laboring. That’s when we should rally around them the most. To be honest with you, we really need fans the least when things are going well, to be real candid with you. When things aren’t, that’s when you really need them the most.
“I look forward to seeing a great crowd regardless of the weather situation, but I think that people would show up because it’s getting close to mid-February and this is when the season starts counting the most.”
