Fusco: Saturday’s challenge tells story of Self

Tuesday, April 1, 2008

Maybe Bill Self has been walking under ladders or crossing paths with black cats. In spite of the blessings he has brought Kansas basketball, the coach seems cursed.

In Self’s first season at Kansas, Georgia Tech halted the Jayhawks’ trip to the NCAA tourney in the Elite Eight. For the next two years, Self fielded talented teams that faltered in the tournament’s first round, prompting harsh criticism from the Kansas faithful. Last season, Self’s Jayhawks suffered injustice at the hands of the NCAA when they drew an Elite Eight matchup against UCLA — in California.

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Don’t like the Self story line? Try these on for size: Russell Robinson’s transformation from a malcontented freshman to senior leader and shutdown defender.

Self may have spent Sunday shedding the stigma of “best coach never to make a Final Four,” but his fortunes haven’t swayed completely. Bad Luck Bill will be faced with another undeserved hurdle in the days leading up to Kansas’ clash with North Carolina: the media and fans’ focus on Roy Williams.

Williams left an indelible mark on Jayhawk basketball in his 15 seasons at the helm. His Kansas teams won 80 percent of the time. Williams made four trips to the Final Four and played in the national championship game twice. Ten Williams-coached players took their skills from Allen Fieldhouse to the first round of the NBA Draft.

And then Roy Williams bolted. He headed back to his alma mater and brought a national title to North Carolina within two years of his arrival. It stung Kansas fans when Williams left, and his success merely tossed salt into the wide-open wound.

That recent history makes for a sexy setup come Saturday night: Roy versus Kansas basketball, a man fighting the powerhouse program he helped build.

But there’s another story line lurking, and it’s more heartwarming. It’s not about revenge and it’s not about hatred. It’s about toughness and heart. It’s the story of Self.

During his first four seasons at Kansas, a lineup’s worth of discontented Jayhawks transferred to other schools. David Padgett left and blossomed into a star at Louisville. J.R. Giddens transferred to New Mexico and transformed from shooter to standout, winning the Mountain West Conference Player of the Year Award in 2008. Nick Bahe and Alex Galindo departed for starting positions at Creighton and Florida International, respectively. C.J. Giles took his lanky frame and (still) untapped potential to Oregon State, and Micah Downs headed west for Gonzaga.

Despite the heavy roster turnover, Self has reeled in victories at a school-record pace (81 percent) and reached the Elite Eight three times. He convinced McDonald’s All-Americans such as Sherron Collins, Darrell Arthur and Mario Chalmers to become Jayhawks. More importantly, he coaxed junior guard Brandon Rush out of his offensive shell and persuaded a team full of stars to buy into an unselfish, defense-first style of play that has held opponents to 38 percent field goal shooting.

It was Self’s deft defensive maneuvering that helped Kansas hold Davidson star Stephen Curry to 4-for-13 shooting in Sunday’s second half. Self instructed his team to step out of its man-to-man defense and into a box-and-one zone.

Don’t like the Self story line? Try these on for size: Russell Robinson’s transformation from a malcontented freshman to senior leader and shutdown defender. Darnell Jackson’s struggle through numerous personal tragedies, and the inspiring conviction he brings to the basketball court. The long, hard road Rodrick Stewart has taken from USC to riding the Kansas bench to becoming a contributor on a Final Four team.

Sure, the “revenge against Roy” story line is compelling, and Kansas fans can’t be blamed for harboring a bit of animosity. But it only takes one look at the Jayhawk roster and everything Bill Self has accomplished to see that there are plenty of other stories surrounding this Kansas team.

— Edited by Katherine Loeck

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