Here is everything Kansas men's basketball head coach Bill Self said before the Jayhawks matchup on the road vs. Kansas State on Saturday.
On Darryn Peterson’s ankle injury and availability: “I don’t know yet, tomorrow or Saturday. He’s getting treatment and he got a pretty severe ankle sprain, but fortunately that’s all it is, just a sprain. Hopefully he’ll be able to go and play, but we’re not at a point where we can make a decision on that yet.”
On how he’s feeling after missing the Colorado game: “It hadn’t been six months, it was 24 hours, so I’m fine. Like I explained last night, what happened is very similar to what many people have. Mine got me pretty good for a short snippet of time and then it was under control. That won’t have any impact moving forward in any way, shape or form. I was at the office yesterday, so it won’t impact me going forward.”
On watching the game while not coaching in person: “Sitting back would probably be a little bit of a stretch. Yelling may be a little bit of a stretch too, considering I didn’t need to be doing that at the time. I know now what it means to be an armchair quarterback because I sat there and watched and I had all the answers.
“And then when you really think about it, those would be the same answers I’d have if I was coaching, and those answers don’t always work. Nor do people execute the way you think they should. I can actually agree with many fans when they’re doing the same thing. Sometimes I probably agree 100 percent with them. It’s just that getting people to do it in real time isn’t quite as easy as it seems.”
On how Colorado defended Darryn Peterson: “They guarded off every screen with two people more in the front court than the back court. I actually think he can handle it better, but I think most of the issues he had were from turning his ankle. He couldn’t push off and wasn’t the same athlete. We’ll address it. We can do better, and we have to be better playing four on three behind the ball.”
On evaluating where the team is right now: “I haven’t really thought about markers like that. I think we’re about 80 percent of where we should be. I saw things last week that made me think we could be really good, and then I saw some things against Colorado that showed we can also be pretty average.
“There’s something about altitude sometimes. The first seven minutes there wasn’t a stoppage, and that can gas you. It’s not a lack of effort, it just hits you. I didn’t think we were very good, but I thought some guys stepped up and made big plays, and that’s important. Sometimes you muddle through it, but you still have to find a way to win, and I thought we did.”
On energy and toughness: “We’ve been better, a lot better, but our energy in Boulder wasn’t comparable to the two games prior. I don’t think it was a lack of wanting to. I thought we adjusted and our defense and energy were much better down the stretch.”
On travel plans with snow expected: “We’re still going to bus. We’re just going to leave a little earlier and try to get there before it hits.”
On choosing Jacque Vaughn as acting head coach: “Jeremy is our associate head coach, no doubt, but we were trying to win a game over a two hour period. Jacque had the most head coaching experience, so that was the reason.”
On Tre White’s performance at Colorado: “He made some shots, but he rebounded the ball. I don’t know for a fact, but I’m sure 15 rebounds was a career high. I was really happy for him. Trey and Melvin, our two transfers, were the two key guys in us winning that game.”
On rotation decisions and bench roles: “I’m not opposed to playing different guys, but I’m not in favor of playing more guys right now. When we sub, I’m more interested in who blends best with the group on the floor. Jamari and Elmarko have done that the best so far.”
On playing at Kansas State: “For us, it’s probably as good a home court as we’ll play in our league. It’s a rivalry. They’ll play at a high level, and we’ll have to play at a high level to have success.”
On facing Hagerty: “He can score the ball as well as anybody in the country. He gets downhill, gets to the free throw line, and gets to his spots. You can do a great job and he still gets 20. You just can’t let the other guys have big nights.”
On the Alabama eligibility ruling involving a G League player: “I’m a little confused. The rules are the rules, but a judge got an injunction and that changes things. I’m not upset, but it tells me if there’s something in doubt and you feel strongly about it, why wouldn’t you pursue it. The worst thing a judge can say is no.”
On the message ahead of the Kansas State game: “I don’t know that I’ve ever said it’s just one game when it comes to K State. We’ve left there disappointed the last three times, and we don’t want that to happen a fourth time.”