Basketball notes: April 7, 2008
Team, coaches all smiles after Final Four victory.
Monday, April 7th, 2008
A heck of a week
You can’t accomplish much more than Bill Self has in the last few days.
Photo by Jon Goering
Kansas coach Bill Self answers questions during the team's press conference Sunday afternoon at the Alamo Dome in San Antonio. Self has led the Hawks to the championship game in his first trip to the Final Four.
Last Sunday, he led Kansas to a victory against Davidson to make it to his first Final Four in five tries. Self followed that up with a victory against North Carolina in the semifinal against former KU coach Roy Williams. Both of those accomplishments likely earned him more favor with Kansas fans.
“It feels good to be here,” he said.
Self wants to do more than enjoy the ride. He sat in the upper deck when the Jayhawks won in 1988 and knows how much it would mean for the program to win another one after so many close calls. Self’s not overly worried about pleasing the fans though.
“People correlate passion and caring to pressure,” he said. “To be real candid with you, I don’t feel it that way. I think from a fan base, I’ve said this before, we have the most realistic unrealistic fans around. Not everybody can say that at a high-profile place.”
Manning induction
Assistant coach Danny Manning was selected for the 2008 National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame class. Manning is the University’s all-time leading scorer and led the Jayhawks to the national championship in 1988.
When Self thinks of Manning, he thinks of his unselfish attitude.
“For a guy that’s done what he’s done,” Self said, “he has absolutely no ego. If I’m a parent of a recruit, and they have a chance to sit down and visit with him. He can share with them so life experiences. I don’t know, they may not pick us, but what an advantage it is to have somebody that could mentor your son or your grandson in a way because he’s taken every step that you can dream to wake.”
Along with Manning, Charles Barkley, Arnie Ferrin, Billy Packer, Jim Phelan, Nolan Richardson and Dick Vitale were selected for the Hall of Fame.
Don’t judge
Chris Douglas-Roberts and his teammates know they’re getting enough respect for the basketball they play. He just doesn’t think people see them in the right light off the court.
“The biggest misconception has nothing to do with basketball,” Douglas-Roberts said. “It’s us as people. They don’t really know us, and they tend to judge based on how we look, how many tattoos or whatever. They don’t see the real people.”
Roomies!
Back in their high school days, Brandon Rush and Memphis’ Shawn Taggart were roommates at Mount Zion Christian Academy in North Carolina. Last night after their games, Rush said they talked about getting together and hanging out during the summer.
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