Bill Self discusses suspension after KU Jayhawks’ exhibition win over Pittsburg State
Bill Self, Kansas’ head men’s basketball coach the past 20 seasons, and Norm Roberts, a Jayhawk assistant the last 10 campaigns, sat next to each other in the Allen Fieldhouse interview room on Thursday night, echoing each other’s statements about KU’s play early in a 94-63 exhibition victory over NCAA Division-II Pittsburg State.
The Jayhawks trailed 12-0 and 21-6 in the opening minutes before waking up and running away from the Gorillas thanks to 23 points from Jalen Wilson, 20 from Gradey Dick, five steals and 13 points from Kevin McCullar and 10 assists from Dajuan Harris.
“I didn’t think we played great early, I thought we were awful,” Self said. We’ve had worse exhibition games than that, but that was probably as bad as we started in a long time. I think it was good for us, a good slap in the face,” Self added.
Roberts, the man who now takes over from Self on game days for the next couple weeks (Roberts will coach against Omaha, North Dakota State, Duke and Southern Utah as Self completes a four-game suspension), agreed with his boss who is also one of his best friends.
“It was a good lesson for us. We got punched in the mouth,” Roberts said of the start of the game against ex-Jayhawk guard Jeff Boschee’s Gorillas. “We did like the way we fought back and were able to change the tide of the game. Now kids will understand what Coach (Self) has been talking about. We’ve got to run people off the line (Pitt State hit 13 of 32 threes to KU’s 8 of 20), guard, screen,” Roberts added.
Self probably answered more questions about circumstances surrounding his four-game suspension after the exhibition than the game itself, only natural considering the suspension was announced Wednesday.
“I thought from a responsibility standpoint the institution certainly showed institutional responsibility in what went down,” Self said of KU administration suspending Self in response to the three-year long NCAA investigation into KU hoops program. K.T. (Kurtis Townsend, also suspended four games) and I both are in alignment with what the school has done. We support it.”
As far as missing the first four games of the regular season on the bench, Self said, “I don’t like it. I don’t know if anybody would like sitting out. It is the landscape that we are going to live by over the next two week period of time. I know I’ll be excited to watch our guys.
“I’m excited for Norm. We’ve been together since 1995. He’ll be a voice our players probably enjoy and respect hearing, probably more than the one they’ve been hearing. I think this is something hopefully we (team) can become more mature through. If that’s the case, it’s still not good by any stretch. I have to own it though. Our players need to make the most of it, and we will.”
Self and Townsend are allowed to coach the team up and including a 24-hour time period before and after the contest. So for Monday’s regular-season opener against Omaha, Self and Townsend can coach the team Friday, Saturday and until 11:59 p.m. Sunday. After that they cannot coach the team again until 11:59 p.m. Monday, a few hours after Monday’s game.
Full-time assistant Jeremy Case will join Roberts on the bench with staff members Joe Dooley and Brady Morningstar.
“I’m hopeful whatever the game plan is we (players) can execute the game plan,” Self said. “To be honest with you it’ll be probably more joint (game plan with Self and Roberts finalizing it). Still there will be decisions that will be made (in game by Roberts). I don’t think it’ll be a big change except Norm is going to put people in and take people out.
“He (Roberts) will go in the game knowing the plays we script. We always script plays in the game but he will be in charge. I’ll be at practice. Everything that happens after 12 a.m., that’ll be Norm’s call. If there are unforeseen things to deal with, it will be on coach and the staff to make sure we handle it. He’ll do well, and our players will respond,” Self stated.
Pitt State played well
Pitt State on Thursday was led by forward Deshaun English, who had 14 points and nine rebounds. Guards Quentin Hardrict and R.J. Fomey had 12 points apiece.
Former KU guard Boschee was pleased with his team grabbing the early 15-point lead and trailing by just 39-34 at halftime.
“Coach (Roy) Williams used to always say, ‘Boschee is always fearless and clueless.’ Maybe that was us tonight,” Boschee said with a smile. “Our guys didn’t back down. I was proud of our guys.
“They started pressing us. Their length bothered us,” Boschee added of the Jayhawks. “I don’t know what their energy was the first 10 to 12 minutes. I told our guys at halftime, ‘Hey the defending national champs had to press you to get back in the game It’s something you should be proud of.’’’
KU will meet Omaha in Roberts’ coaching debut at KU (he was head coach at St. John’s six years) at 7 p.m., Monday, at Allen Fieldhouse.
MJ Rice out of action
KU freshman MJ Rice did not suit up for the game. He’s missed about a week of practice with a lower back injury, Self said.
“Hopefully he’ll be back at practice soon,” Self said. “It’s a bad time not to be playing as a freshman. It’s a long season. Hopefully he’ll get healthy soon.”
This story was originally published November 3, 2022 at 11:34 PM with the headline "Bill Self discusses suspension after KU Jayhawks’ exhibition win over Pittsburg State."
