Decision to play KU football opener with no fans in stands makes sense, Self says
Kansas basketball coach Bill Self would love to see Booth Memorial Stadium parking lots full of festive tailgaters — and the stands occupied by 30,000 to 40,000 football fans — for the Jayhawks’ Sept. 12 season opener against Coastal Carolina.
Instead, the crowd will be officially listed as “zero” because of a recent spike in COVID-19 coronavirus on KU’s campus and in Douglas County.
“I don’t think that comes as a surprise,” Self, KU’s 18th-year coach, said Monday, speaking of Chancellor Douglas Girod’s ruling Monday that prevents fans from attending KU’s home sporting events in the month of September. Tailgating also will be prohibited.
“I think that’s actually OK. We’ll start out slow to make sure we can do it right this way. I’m sure it will progress (to allowing fans at some point). But it doesn’t surprise me at all. I think that’s probably smart,” Self added.
The banning of fans also will include the annual Late Night in the Phog, normally set for the last weekend of September or first weekend of October. Self said Late Night will likely be a “virtual” event at a yet-to-be-determined date in the preseason.
Self’s Jayhawk basketball players have been able to work with coaches and trainers up to eight hours a week since reporting to campus on Aug. 2. That includes four hours of on-court instruction and/or scrimmaging.
The eight hours a week mandate continued on Aug. 24, first day of classes, and will run until the first day of preseason practice, currently slated for Sept. 26.
KU has welcomed four newcomers to the 2020-21 team in junior college transfer Tyon Grant-Foster, plus freshmen Bryce Thompson, Gethro Muscadin and Latrell Jossell. Dajuan Harris is a redshirt freshman who practiced second semester last season but did not play in games. Muscadin is a forward, while Grant-Foster, Thompson, Jossell and Harris are guards.
“Our newcomers have done well,” Self said. “Tyon tweaked his ankle. I’m excited to see him get healthy, but he’s not there yet. Bryce and Latrell and Gethro have all been good. Dajuan is good. There’s a lot of competition in the backcourt. It’ll be interesting to see who kind of separates themselves because right now you could look out there and say there’s eight or nine guys that you think can play in those four positions.
“I do believe Bryce is certainly a guy who has a chance to fight for a starting spot,” Self added of Thompson, a 6-5 McDonald’s All-American out of Booker T. Washington High in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
He said Grant-Foster’s injury was not deemed serious.
“He’s talented,” Self said of the 6-7 wing out of Schlagle High School and Indian Hills Community College.
Recruiting update
KU thus far has received two verbal commitments from players in the recruiting Class of 2021. They are: KJ Adams, a 6-foot-8, 220-pound senior power forward out of Westlake High School in Austin, Texas, ranked No. 84 in the recruiting Class of 2021 according to Rivals.com, as well as Zach Clemence, 6-10, 205 from San Antonio. He attends Sunrise Christian Academy in Bel Aire, Kansas and is ranked No. 29 in the Class of 2021 by Rivals.com.
KU is bringing in a guard in preferred walk-on/football signee Keon Coleman, 6-4, 190 pounds from Opelousas (Louisiana) High School.
The Jayhawks have three scholarships to award in 2021, more if players turn pro or leave the program. KU is recruiting several guards including perimeter players Hunter Sallis of Millard North High School in Omaha, Nebraska; JD Davison, Calhoun High School, Letohatchee, Alabama; Jaden Hardy, Coronado High School, Henderson, Nevada anc Trey Alexander, Heritage Hall High School, Oklahoma City.
The Jayhawks are recruiting several frontcourt players including Kok Yat, Norcross (Georgia) High School; Daimion Collins, Atlanta (Texas) High School; Sam Ayomide, Phelps School, Malvern, Pennsylvania; Franck Kepnang, Westtown (Pennsylvania) School; DaRon Holmes, Montverde (Florida) Academy; Arthur Kaluma, Dream City Christian, Glendale, Arizona; Sydney Curry, Logan Community College, Carterville, Illinois and Langston Wilson, Georgia Highlands College, Rome, Georgia.
Self told The Star he’s looking to sign at least two more players in the Class of 2021. He cannot comment on individual prospects in accordance with NCAA recruiting rules.
This story was originally published September 1, 2020 at 8:54 AM with the headline "Decision to play KU football opener with no fans in stands makes sense, Self says."
