Here’s why KU’s Bill Self visited Emporia State locker room before Wednesday’s game
Kansas basketball coach Bill Self normally sits in his office watching tape of the opposing team up until two minutes before tip of games contested in Allen Fieldhouse.
He altered a well-established routine on Wednesday night.
Self showed up outside Emporia State’s locker room in the southeast corner of the tradition-rich building at 6 p.m., a full hour before starting time of the Jayhawks’ 86-60 exhibition victory over the Hornets.
Self, at the invitation of Emporia State men’s coach/former Graceland University men’s coach Craig Doty, spent some time visiting with former Graceland women’s hoops coach Frank Howell, who has been battling grade four glioblastoma — an aggressive form of cancer that occurs in the brain or spinal cord.
Howell attended the KU-ESU contest as a guest of Doty and sat right behind the Hornets’ bench.
Doty wrote a lengthy post on Twitter on Thursday afternoon to express thanks to Self for taking time on game day to speak with Howell, who over the past many weeks has had emergency brain surgery and was flown to Duke Medical Center to enroll in clinical trials and advanced treatment plans.
“The night before we played Kansas, Fred Quartlebaum (KU’s director of basketball operations) talked with Coach Self and passed along his cell number to me so we could talk about Frank. Bill and I spent nearly 10 minutes on the phone and he was all about meeting Frank to lift his spirits,” ESU coach Doty wrote on Twitter.
“An hour prior to our game, coach Self came over to the Emporia State locker room and spent time with Frank. He talked with Frank like they had known each other for years. It was a special moment for Frank and really meant the world to him. After the game was done, Coach Self again sought out Frank in the stands of Allen Fieldhouse behind our bench to wish him well.
“Kansas fans surely know this,” Doty wrote on Twitter, “but they have a great man as their leader. Coaching young men aged 18 to 23 is difficult. Who better to teach these men lessons in life and lead them than a man who is willing to uplift others in need the way Coach Self does? Bill accepted my request to meet with Frank the night before our game. He spent time on game day to pour himself into Frank and he did. It is because he cares about others. Coach Self is a Hall of Famer for much more than just basketball. We are so grateful.”
Self spoke with The Star on Thursday night about his visit with Howell.
“It was a treat meeting Frank. I’m glad Coach Doty told me about him,” Self said. “I actually met him (Howell) before — years ago at a clinic in Iowa. I believe it’s one Jim Hinrich (dad of former KU and NBA guard Kirk Hinrich) used to run. He’s going through a lot,” Self added of Howell. “His family is going through a lot. He’s 52-years-old. He told me he plans on living until he’s 80. He has a great attitude. He’s tough. I know he’ll fight. It was nice to visit with him.”
Doty on Twitter also expressed thanks to KU for continuing to play one NCAA Division II school per exhibition season. The Jayhawks since the 2004-05 season have played two in-state Division II teams out of the group of Emporia State, Washburn, Fort Hays State and Pittsburg State. KU starting this season has cut it to one game and one NCAA secret scrimmage against a fellow Division I team.
The secret scrimmage is designed to help better prepare KU for its season opener in the Champions Classic, which this season is Tuesday versus Michigan State.
“For well over a decade they have brought in fellow state of Kansas NCAA D2 schools each year. It keeps money in the state. It provides an experience for student-athletes within the Kansas Board of Regents, and many alumni and boosters have deep ties to both the University of Kansas and Emporia State,” Doty said.
“This game helps prepare us for our regular-season opener. It is my hope that Kansas found value in playing in front of their awesome crowd of 16,000-plus and can take some things away from this exhibition which prepares them for next Tuesday when their season starts.”
On Wednesday, KU had four players score in double figures to the Hornets’ three. Ochai Agbaji had 17 points, David McCormack 16, Remy Martin 15 and Christian Braun 10 for Kansas. Emporia State guard Tray Buchanan had 19 points (11-of-11 from the free-throw line), center Mayuom Buom 14 and guard Jumah’Ri Turner 13 points.
“I think they had three really good players — the big kid (6-10 Buom) and obviously No. 2 (Buchanan) and then No. 5 (Turner). They are very good players. At one point they (trio) had 29 of the 33 (points). We didn’t do a great job on those guys. I thought they were pretty good players,” Self said after Wednesday’s game.
This story was originally published November 4, 2021 at 9:40 PM with the headline "Here’s why KU’s Bill Self visited Emporia State locker room before Wednesday’s game."
