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Dodd: This season, it’s up to Self

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By Rustin Dodd

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

It was just past 10:30 on Monday night. Kansas’ 87-60 victory against Kent State had turned into an ugly foul-plagued hack-fest. And Bill Self sat in front of the microphone with one more question to answer. He could have ducked the question. He could have given a bland coach-speak answer and headed for the locker room. Instead, Self cracked a joke. Then he smiled.

It’s still early in this basketball season. It’s still December. And of course, December basketball is sloppy. December basketball is what happened in the first half of Monday’s game when Kansas’ gifted freshman guard Tyshawn Taylor botched a breakaway dunk, and then moments later, proceeded to steal the ball and give Kansas another possession.

It’s Dec. 2, and the Jayhawks won’t play a conference game for 43 days.

So for now, the story is about the man behind the smile. The story is about Self. How will he mold this team? Can he teach this team to play defense? Can he teach them to box out? Can he teach them to do all the little things that win basketball games?

Bill Self has obviously been in this situation before. In fact, he’s been in a lot of situations. He’s coached fast teams, and young teams, and teams with NBA talent. He’s coached tough teams, and rough teams, and teams with no talent. People don’t realize this, but Self has been around awhile. Did you know he’ll coach his 500th college basketball game this season?

He’s had quite a run. In 2000, he coached a fast-breaking Tulsa team to a 32-5 season and the Elite Eight. The next season, he took over for Lon Kruger at Illinois and molded a team loaded with physical bangers into a tough and efficient squad that advanced all the way to the Elite Eight – beating Kansas along the way. And then, after three years at Illinois, Self left Champaign for Lawrence. And now he’s in his sixth year at Kansas. That’s hard to believe, isn’t it? Self coached his 180th Kansas basketball game on Monday. He’s won 147 of them. He’s 81-6 at Allen Fieldhouse. You could argue – if you wanted to – that Self is the best coach in America.

But now he’s starting over. He has one stud in the backcourt, one center who still doesn’t know how good he can be, and five young freshmen who are still learning.

And there’s really only one thing to teach.

“You know coach Self,” junior guard Sherron Collins said. “His motto is defense first, offense second.”

There’s an old story about Self’s first few meetings with his new players when he took over at Kansas in 2003. Wayne Simien, Keith Langford, Aaron Miles and the rest of Roy Williams’ leftovers were fresh off a loss in the National Championship game. Those Williams teams played fast – real fast – and those players had a message for their new coach.

“We love to get it out of the basket and go,” they said.

Self was a little confused and probably a little concerned. Wait a minute, Self said to his new players. How about we stop them from scoring in the first place?

And that’s the man behind the smile. Sure, Self’s teams score points, but that’s mostly because Self recruits blue-chip talents with offensive skill and athleticism. He gives his players freedom on offense. He demands discipline on defense.

So on Monday night, the Jayhawks played defense the Bill Self way. They held Kent State to 60 points and 37.7 percent from the field. They also forced 20 turnovers. Those are all positive signs.

“I thought we defended them pretty well,” Self said.

And with that, Self walked out of the room. The smile started to fade. It was back to work. His team is 5-1. But in Self’s world, you can always play better defense.

— — Edited by Jennifer Torline

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