Bill Self makes most of his day. He cleans. He hits golf balls. He meets with staff
Kansas basketball coach Bill Self was originally slated to be in Omaha, Nebraska, Thursday, running an open practice then conducting a pre-first-round 2020 NCAA Tournament news conference at CHI Health Center Arena.
Instead of completing preparations for Friday’s tourney opener, the coach of the country’s No. 1-ranked men’s basketball team was in Lawrence passing the hours in and around his West Lawrence home.
“I got my (golf) sticks out and hit some balls today, which is positive because it’s supposed to be 38 (degrees) tomorrow and the next day. At least I got that in,” Self said Thursday during a guest appearance on SV Pod, Scott Van Pelt’s weekly ESPN podcast.
Self, KU’s 17th-year coach, said it’s the earliest he’s ever dusted off his clubs in his 27-year head coaching career. All because of COVID-19 coronavirus concerns that forced cancellation of the NCAA tourney.
Even in the years of an early tourney exit, golf season would be “two weeks away,” Self said. “No, no, this is the earliest. I’ve been looking for something to do.
“I’m actually having a staff meeting at my house,” Self added. “Of course we’re all keeping our 6 feet apart from each other. It’s amazing you’ve got to have a staff meeting at your house because you can’t do it at a restaurant or an office. We’ve got a good-sized garage. I’ve totally rearranged it and cleaned it and did it all in the span of one afternoon.
“I’m one-up on the ‘honey-do’s’ right now. It’s not at all bad, but certainly we’d all rather be doing something else,” he said.
KU’s Allen Fieldhouse has been closed for intense cleaning this week.
“Here we’ve been quarantined to basically our homes because our offices … they are giving us a two-hour window on Friday for I think ‘M through Z (last names)‘ to get in from noon ’til 2 (p.m.). This is serious,” Self said. “Anything to get outdoors and get some fresh air is a positive right now.”
Self spent a good portion of his segment on the podcast discussing Big 12 player of the year Udoka Azubuike.
The KU center is currently listed by ESPN.com as the 32nd-best prospect for the 2020 NBA Draft, which would make him an early second-rounder. Last year at this time, Azubuike was not appearing on such pre-draft lists.
“Most people think there’s no place in the (pro) game for a non-skilled big guy even if he is a monster,” Self said. He was referring to NBA teams preferring big men who can drift outside and hit three-pointers. Azubuike’s range is at or near the goal.
“I happen to think to win at that level and to win a seven-game series, to be better than your opponent four of seven tries in a series, you may have to go against somebody that is a good low-post player. There’s nobody out there who could potentially be a better low-post defender than what Doke is, or a better defensive rebounder or better ball screener/run-to- the-rim-guy or ball-screen defender.
“I think he projects well at the next level,” Self added, “even though a lot of people on the surface do not see it.”
Self continued that Azubuike, “is a freak athlete. The dude weighs 260 pounds, is 6-11, is a monster who can put his elbows above the rim for every rebound, can play above the rim and catch lobs with the best of them. He is an athlete to me. If you are going to take a chance on a guy, I’d certainly err on the side of athleticism.”
Self said he felt sorry for Azubuike and his other players missing the tourney way more than himself.
“This is not coach-speak. I’m OK because as a coach I know I’ll live to fight another day,” Self said. “I feel worse for the athletes that know they may not or definitely won’t (play again). As important as this is for Doke it’s the same importance for (senior) Isaiah Moss, him to have a chance to do something to put him on the biggest stage to make a lot of money overseas.
“Everything is relative. I’m actually OK with it. For me personally we’ve dealt with more stuff (alleged Level One NCAA violations) in the last year and 18 months than obviously we’d wish we’d have to deal with, or I’d wish we’d have to deal with, over the course of an entire career over the last 18 months.
“Some of it is justified, much of it isn’t, but that’s neither here nor there. I was hopeful this could be our year to have a platform we could really show people what we are all about. We were deprived of that just as everybody was deprived of that. You can’t be angry, but can be certainly disappointed.”
This story was originally published March 19, 2020 at 5:16 PM with the headline "Bill Self makes most of his day. He cleans. He hits golf balls. He meets with staff."
