Coach Bill Self of the Kansas Jayhawks basketball team will miss the remainder of the Big 12 tournament due to surgery, the university said on Thursday.
Self’s absence from Kansas’ Big 12 quarterfinal match versus West Virginia was first reported by the university due to sickness. With the guidance of assistant coach Norm Roberts, the Jayhawks went on to defeat the Mountaineers 78-61 on Thursday.
Following the victory, Kansas announced that Self would not be available for the team’s game against Iowa State on Friday because he was recovering at the University of Kansas Health Center from an operation. He did not have a heart attack, said a hospital representative, who did not elaborate on the operation.
Coach Self did not have a heart attack, contrary to what several media outlets have claimed, according to a statement from the hospital obtained by Kansas. He came to the emergency room yesterday night, and a routine procure went smoothly. He is anticipated to recover fully.
UPDATE on Bill Self just in from Kansas: pic.twitter.com/I7DWs4wbqw
— Matt Norlander (@MattNorlander) March 9, 2023
Self said merely that he is “eager to be back with my team in the very near future” without giving a specific return date. “My family and I are really appreciative of the huge number of good wishes we have received,” he continued.
After his team’s Thursday quarterfinal loss to Iowa State, Baylor coach Scott Drew addressed Self’s absence.
Drew affirmed, “We are in prayer. “Life is fleeting. What matters most is winning the game of life.
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Kansas was ranked No. 4 in the USA TODAY Sports Men’s Basketball Coaches Poll heading into the Big 12 tournament. The Jayhawks are vying for the top overall seed in the NCAA Tournament when the field is revealed on Sunday with a 25-6 record. Self-defeated North Carolina in the national championship game to win his second national championship at the institution last year.
Earlier in the season, when Self was suspended due to an ongoing NCAA investigation into rules infractions, Roberts took over as the team’s head coach for four games. There has been no announcement of the case’s outcome.
Self was there for a shoot-around on Wednesday at the T-Mobile Arena and seemed to be in good health. For roughly 20 minutes outside the locker room, he spoke with reporters and declared that his squad was prepared for another March run.
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We’ve discussed traveling to Kansas City to attempt to put ourselves in a winning position, but we should only focus on one game at a time, he added. “Let’s go play our best, I stressed. The (Big 12) tournament can confirm how successful your regular season was. And now comes the chance to prove it.”