Acting KU head coach Jacque Vaughn speaks before Tuesday’s Kansas-Colorado game
Jacque Vaughn, who started 125 of 126 games as Kansas Jayhawks men’s basketball point guard, on Tuesday night was to make the calls for his alma mater from the bench as acting head coach.
The 50-year-old 1997 KU graduate and former head coach of the NBA’s Orlando Magic and Brooklyn Nets was to sub for Bill Self in a 10 p.m. tipoff against Colorado.
Self missed the game following a health episode Monday that sent KU’s 23rd-year coach to LMH Health for IV treatment.
“First of all, just thinking about Coach as we all have been since yesterday … I’ve talked to him multiple times today. He’s talked to the staff and we got the message from him yesterday (that he’d miss the game),” said Vaughn, subbing for Self on KU basketball’s pregame head coach interview on the men’s basketball X account.
“He talked to the group first of all, the team, addressed them, told them about the situation. He’s doing great. Like I said, I talked to him multiple times today. And then overall, the staff, (he) asked me to do my part and tonight my part is to fill in for him. That’s the role I have.”
A KU Athletics spokesperson confirmed before Tuesday’s game that Self is currently at his Lawrence house and plans on returning to practice this week in advance of Saturday’s game at Kansas State.
KU won home games against Iowa State and Baylor last week entering a stretch that includes games at Colorado and Kansas State.
“Overall, I think our eyes are open now to how good the Big 12 is, and you can’t give games away,” Vaughn said. The Jayhawks entered Tuesday’s game 3-2 in the league to CU’s 2-3.
“We haven’t played well on the road, so this is a great challenge for us tonight. I think what we saw was us playing for each other on both ends of the floor whether that’s Flory (Bidunga) rolling to the rim, Darryn (Peterson) getting to spots, Melvin (Council Jr.) getting out in transition. We were able to do those things and then defensively we covered for each other.” Vaughn added.
Of Peterson’s performance in KU’s win Friday over Baylor, Vaughn said: “He looked like a pro, didn’t he? I think getting to spots and raising up and being able to play at a pace that didn’t look like everyone else’s. That’s what makes him special. We will look forward to him doing that again tonight.”
Of Bidunga’s play of late and goals for the sophomore big man Tuesday, Vaughn said: “We have to be smart. Can we get some early opportunities for him and reward him?”
Vaughn Tuesday was asked about coaching against fellow Jayhawks Tad Boyle and Danny Manning of Colorado.
“Give Tad an extreme amount of credit,” Vaughn said. “What he’s done here ... the amount of years he’s been here (16), this group having the freshmen play the roles they are in. I know Danny has a piece of that as well, helping him (Boyle). This is a group that will play extremely hard and give us a challenge. They have guards who play downhill, get to the paint, draw fouls. Great challenge for us tonight.”
