Bill Self held team meeting with KU basketball before win vs. Big 12 leader Texas
Kansas men’s basketball coach Bill Self did not wait until practice Sunday to let his players know their performance in Saturday’s 68-53 blowout loss at Iowa State was unacceptable heading into Monday night’s game against Texas.
“Coach had a meeting with them, which we don’t usually do right when we get back (from a road trip). He kind of lets them go (normally),” KU assistant coach Kurtis Townsend said on Tuesday’s Hawk Talk radio show. Townsend was filling in for Self, who was in Texas on Tuesday night on a recruiting trip.
“We came back (from Iowa State) and had a meeting for about an hour and he let them know what he thought of how they played, which they probably knew how he felt.”
Townsend said the players “got it loud and clear,” adding they realized after the meeting they had to bring energy right from the start and carry a strong effort through the game against the Longhorns, the first-place team in the Big 12 Conference.
The No. 9-ranked Jayhawks (19-5, 7-4) wound up beating the No. 5 Longhorns (19-5, 8-3) 88-80 Monday at Allen Fieldhouse, just two days after the lopsided defeat to the No. 11 Cyclones (16-6, 7-3).
“Jeremy Case (assistant) did an unbelievable job on the scout. I thought we scouted Texas really well. Jeremy is really good at it. The guys came in and were locked in and focused,” Townsend said. “It was a quick turnaround but the guys were locked in and I think that’s why we played as well as we played.”
The Jayhawks bonded together against Texas on a night just eight healthy scholarship players were available for duty along with just one healthy walk-on, Michael Jankovich, a senior guard Self said would have played if needed.
Instead four starters scored in double figures (Gradey Dick 21 points, Dajuan Harris 17, Kevin McCullar 16, KJ Adams 10) as well as reserve guard Joseph Yesufu, who had 14 points. The other two Jayhawks who came off the bench, Ernest Udeh and MJ Rice, combined for eight points and five rebounds in 24 combined minutes.
“I think one of the best things I saw yesterday that made me feel good about this team is Jalen (Wilson) scored two points and he was the best cheerleader on the bench,” Townsend said on Hawk Talk. “He was standing up telling MJ where he needed to be defensively.
“He didn’t care he had two points. He wanted Kansas to win. When you’ve got a guy up for player of the year and All-American, ... (it’s important that) he didn’t sulk. All he wanted was a win. I thought that was really special from a kid like that. It’s why you love the guy. He’s carried us all year. For one night it was the other guys’ turn to carry him. He was just as excited in the locker room as he is when he scores 30 and we win.”
Townsend was also impressed with Yesufu, the 6-0 junior combo guard who hit 5 of 9 shots and was 4-of-4 from the line. The Bolingbrook, Illinois native had five rebounds and a crowd-pleasing slam dunk in his 19 minutes.
“We’ve seen Joe do it in practice a lot,” Townsend said of the Drake transfer. “He is a really, really good player. He can shoot the ball. He is athletic. He’s not that big so he’s low to the ground. He’s really strong. He can hold his ground. The biggest thing is he is from Illinois so he’ll fight you. He’s a tough kid. We like guys like that. He’s also one of the nicest kids you’ll meet.”
Clemence says knee is ‘doing a lot better’
KU sophomore Zach Clemence, who suffered a left knee injury after blocking a shot in the Iowa State game and missed the Texas contest, reiterated Self’s statement that the forward should be considered week-to-week rather than day-to-day.
Self said after Monday’s win over Texas he does not believe Clemence will be available for Saturday’s game against Oklahoma (12 p.m., Norman, Oklahoma).
“I’m doing therapy four times a day, three times a day,” Clemence said as player guest on Hawk Talk. “It’s a pain but something you’ve got to do to get back.
“It’s doing a lot better. I couldn’t be more blessed for this to come out how it has.”
An MRI showed no structural damage. Self said Clemence should definitely be back on the court this season.
“I’m hurt, (but) that doesn’t mean I can’t play a role in what we are doing,” Clemence, a 6-10 native of San Antonio, Texas, said. “Keeping guys up that mess up a play and get pulled — ... (I can) keep them up, talk to them, keep them confident, tell them what they should do, shouldn’t do and cheering for sure.”
This story was originally published February 7, 2023 at 8:31 PM with the headline "Bill Self held team meeting with KU basketball before win vs. Big 12 leader Texas."
