First Four cuts into KU prep time

Bill Self says he enjoyed the First Four, even though it did cut into his team’s prep time for its opening-round matchup Friday evening against UC Davis.

“I think it’s nice to know all week who you’re going to play,” the Kansas coach said Thursday before his team took the floor for a public shootaround.

KU has been a No. 1 seed in the tournament seven times in the last 11 years, but this is the first time the Jayhawks have been matched with a team that had to play its way into the tournament.

That meant KU didn’t know who they’d play until Wednesday evening – three days after Selection Sunday – when UC Davis beat North Carolina Central 67-63 in Dayton, Ohio.

“I think every coach would prepare this week like he's preparing for a two-game tournament,” Self said. “But usually when you play a two-game tournament, you know who your first opponent's going to be.

“And I do think that makes it a little bit more difficult, so to speak, you know, to prepare for four teams as opposed to preparing for three.”

But, he said he still likes the First Four play-in formula anyway.

“Seeing those games in Dayton on both nights, watching them, it certainly adds to the tournament because they were all four great games,” Self said.

Vang in the NCAAs — “Surreal” is how Wichita native Tucker Vang described the experience of being on a No. 1-seed KU team as it prepares for its tournament opener against UC Davis.

“It’s something that I’ve always dreamed about and now it’s happening,” he said.

The 6-2 junior walk-on has played only a few minutes this season. His primary role is to practice hard and keep the rotation players at their peak.

He said they worked up a good sweat practicing Thursday morning in Tulsa, before a team media availability and an open-to-the-public practice that was basically a light shootaround watched by 1,500 fans.

“It’s crazy, to be honest,” Vang said. “Coming from (Goddard) high school and not having the type of media coverage we have now, it’s definitely a humbling experience. I’ve just been enjoying it every day, taking in what I can and just trying to enjoy every minute of it.”

He’s the only Wichitan and one of three Kansans on the KU roster.

Vang’s basketball last year was played mainly on the male practice squad that spars with KU’s women to prep them for competition.

This year, he tried out for the men’s team and landed his down-the-bench spot.

“A year ago at this time, I was on spring break, watching them in the tournament,” Vang said of his teammates.

He has a slim chance of getting into a tournament game. The most likely scenario would be if KU blows out an opponent and empties the bench for the last couple of minutes.

Still, being on the bench at the tournament gives a lot better chance of playing than watching the game from home.

“I hope so,” Vang said of the prospect of playing. “That’d be great.”

This story was originally published March 16, 2017 at 8:24 PM with the headline "First Four cuts into KU prep time."