KU’s Bill Self has much to say — to team and media — after blowout loss at Texas
Bill Self apologized for keeping a large media contingent waiting longer than usual — actually a lot longer than the normal 10-minute cooling off period — to offer his comments after No. 3-ranked Kansas’ 75-59 loss to No. 9-rated Texas on Saturday afternoon at Moody Center.
“Sorry it took a while to get down here. We were breaking down all the great play we had today,” Self, KU’s 20th-year men’s basketball coach, said, forcing a smile about 30 minutes after his Big 12 champion Jayhawks suffered their first loss in eight league games.
KU completed the conference slate with a 13-5 record, one game better than second-place Texas (12-6).
Self, of course, was joking about the “great play” of his KU team, which finished the regular season with a sparkling 25-6 record (to UT’s 23-8 mark).
Saturday’s postgame chat addressed some concerns and problems in KU’s performance that took some time to ‘break down.’
“... (A)bout what I expected,” Self said, asked about the mood of the team after a game that resembled KU’s 68-53 loss to Iowa State on Feb. 4 in Ames. That was the blowout defeat that preceded KU’s seven-game winning streak — one that propelled the Jayhawks to their 17th regular-season league crown in the 20-year Self era at KU.
“We talked for longer than usual. I think we are not leaving out of here happy, (but) they still know there’s bigger fish to fry,” Self added.
Self summarized his postgame speech to the team as “maybe a ‘do-better’ talk” in conjunction with postseason play beginning for the Jayhawks on Thursday at the Big 12 Tournament.
How ugly was Saturday’s loss?
KU scored just 24 points the first half on 30% shooting (9-of-30; 3-of-12 from three), trailing 32-24 at the break. Junior forward Jalen Wilson, who entered the game 1-for-18 from three over the last five games scored 11 points in the first half on 4-of-11 shooting (1 of 4 threes). He finished with 23 points on 7-of-18 marksmanship (3 of 7 threes).
The 24 points marked KU’s second-lowest output in the first half of a game this season. KU scored 21 in the first half in that loss to ISU in Ames.
The Jayhawks totaled 25 points in the first half of a 64-50 loss to Tennessee in the Bahamas.
KU trailed by 15 points just 2 1/2 minutes into the final half Saturday. They at one point cut the gap to seven but never seriously threatened to win.
It marked KU’s third loss in as many seasons in Austin — and the first in the brand new Moody Center.
“We weren’t any good,” Self said.
The Jayhawks cashed 21 of 58 shots for 36.2% shooting. KU went 7-of-22 from three for 28.6%. Texas shot 25-of-55 (45.5%). The Longhorns were 6-of-21 from three (28.6%).
“The second half they played take ‘em. We couldn’t guard their guys individually. We didn’t have anything going. We got what we deserved today,” Self added.
Praising the atmosphere in UT’s new arena, which drew a sellout crowd of 11,313, Self said: “I thought it was really good from a loudness standpoint. I didn’t think we responded very well to that at all. I thought we played like we were on islands today.
“You know with us, we’ve got a pretty decent team, but we are pretty good only when we play together, play a a unit. Today we played more as individuals because Texas did some good things to take us out of stuff.”
Wilson explained the problem on Saturday.
“We need to move the ball more,” said the Denton, Texas native, who never won in Austin during his KU career.
“I think it’s been clear when we get stagnant our offense isn’t very good. We’ve got to fix that,” Wilson added.
Of the team’s mental frame of mind entering postseason play, he noted: “We’re good. Tough losses in the Big 12 happen. They’ve happened all year. You can’t guarantee on the road in this league you will play your best. There was a great atmosphere in the gym. You know they’ll play hard on senior night. Things like this happen. We’re lucky we get an opportunity to play them again soon (perhaps in the Big 12 tourney). We realize our season is just beginning now.”
KU will play its Big 12 quarterfinal game against the winner of the league’s No. 8 and 9 seeds at 2 p.m. Thursday at T-Mobile Center.
Prior to that … “We’ll have our conversations, regroup, especially after a loss,” Wilson said.
This story was originally published March 4, 2023 at 7:36 PM with the headline "KU’s Bill Self has much to say — to team and media — after blowout loss at Texas."
