Bill Self says he has no information warranting suspension of KU players

Kansas men’s basketball coach Bill Self said Thursday that he has not been presented any information about alleged crimes in McCarthy Hall that would lead to him to suspend any players from participation.

“If there was an issue they wouldn’t be playing. There hasn’t been anything that has been brought to my attention that would keep anybody from playing,” Self said on the weekly Big 12 coaches teleconference.

Self was asked if he has heard none of his players would be named suspects in the reported rape of a 16-year-old girl in the hall, which houses the KU’s men’s basketball team and other male students.

“All I know is what I said yesterday. There’s an alleged incident that took place there,” Self said. “The people that were listed that are potential witnesses in some way, and that could be a plethora of ways as I’m sure you well know, what witness potentially could be.

“That’s all we know at this point. (I’m) certainly not going to minimize it at all because it’s such a serious potential allegation that took place in McCarthy Hall, but I’m also not going to draw something from it that in no way, shape or form have we been told is there right now.”

KU police have been investigating the reported rape and three other crimes that occurred between 10 p.m. Dec. 17 and 5 a.m. Dec. 18, according to a police report, which lists five witnesses, all Jayhawk players: Frank Mason, Mitch Lightfoot, Lagerald Vick, Tucker Vang and Josh Jackson. A KU athletic department administrator and two 19-year-old women were others interviewed, according to the police report.

Self acknowledged the investigation is a distraction entering Saturday’s game at Kentucky. The KU athletic department is cooperating with police, according to both parties.

“I think anytime … it certainly is a distraction without question,” Self said. “The Kentucky game is a big game. It is probably as big a game for fans as it is for players. Certainly for players it’s a game you circle and look forward to playing whenever the season begins, whenever you start practicing.

“Sure it’s a distraction, I mean how could it not be,” he added, noting it’s a distraction only because, “you have to hear about it and go through it.”

This story was originally published January 26, 2017 at 11:00 AM with the headline "Bill Self says he has no information warranting suspension of KU players."