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LAWRENCE — Bill Self has taken at least a little something from every mentor he's had along the way on his coaching journey. Just about every day, in the Kansas locker room, Self gives the Jayhawks a taste of Eddie Sutton.
At each stop in Sutton's journey, from Arkansas to Kentucky to Oklahoma State, you would hear him talking about wanting his team to reach a "magic level." To Sutton, it meant the players were ready mentally and emotionally. They never got too high or too low no matter what was happening because they believed deep down the game was theirs.
Self learned the ways of basketball magic for three seasons as an assistant under Sutton at Oklahoma State from 1990-93 and has clung to the pursuit of that romantic ideal ever since.
"We talk about that every day," Self said. "Coach Sutton used to say this all the time: Your magic level is where your energy and your enthusiasm and your focus and concentration all come together to give you the best chance. Those are the days you are probably gonna enjoy coaching them, and more than likely you're going to play well."
One of the reasons Self is in love with the magic level is that, when you're there, you don't have to make shots to win.
"That's the thing about being at that magic level," Self said. "If you're really turned up, you can get to shooters a little quicker.
"It's just guys being turned up."
How good is Self at making his players believe in this abstract basketball force? Most of the Jayhawks come to him with their eyes on playing well for a few years at Kansas and then heading for the NBA.
When they arrive, they believe only in themselves. It is Self's job to make them think on a higher plane.
"We gotta get to that magic level," KU forward Marcus Morris said.
"That magic level is getting to our best. Defend, rebound and just play our best ball. I think that last game (against Kansas State) we showed glimpses of how good we can be, and K-State is a great team.
"It's hard to beat a team three times."
In the Big 12 Tournament title game, the Jayhawks did not shoot well to start the game. They struggled to get separation because of that, but they never let K-State take control because of their defense and rebounding. The Wildcats shot 35 percent from the field, while KU eventually upped its mark to 44 percent. Thing is, when you're at your magic level, you aren't even worried about that.
Self estimates that the Jayhawks have played at their magic level 12 to 15 times this season. Sometimes, it's during one of their patented runs that have sent them on to victory so often. Fewer times, like on Saturday, Kansas has maintained that Zen state for an entire outing.
For the next three weeks, with Kansas favored by many to cut down the nets in Indianapolis, it will be up to Self to make sure the Jayhawks block out all of the pressure and expectations and find their happy place.
"Obviously, I didn't do a very good job of getting our guys to play to that level against Texas Tech the other day and the first half against A&M," Self said. "I hope I didn't coach from a defensive standpoint. I want to coach from an aggressive, attack-mode standpoint. I think that's what you should do at all times."
And then there's Collins, the ultimate believer in the mantra preached by Sutton and adopted by Self.
"It means there's nothing (Self) can say, there's nothing nobody can say to you," Collins said. "You do it within yourself. Get yourself to that level that you're ready to play and you feel like nobody can stop you from doing what you're doing. There's a certain amount of swagger."
