Inside Kansas Head Coach Bill Self's Comments Before The Cincinnati Game
Q: You guys are right in the thick of the race. Do you have to remind your guys to focus one game at a time with some big matchups coming up?
Self: Oh yeah. Yeah. The biggest game is the next game. At this point in the season, if you make a mistake, there may not be ample time to recover from it. We don’t have much margin for error, and our guys know that. We’ll talk about the biggest game on our schedule, which is Cincinnati. We’re not going to mention anything past that.
Q: How many games do you feel like you need with your full group to feel comfortable going into the postseason?
Self: I don’t know if there’s a specific number of games. It’s more about the day-to-day in practice combined with games. We’re getting right up against that number, so to speak.
This weekend is a good sign because it’s a Saturday-Monday game, and postseason play is Thursday-Saturday or Friday-Sunday. In the conference tournament, there’s no guarantee you get a second game, but if you do, it’s back-to-back. If you don’t have confidence doing that over an extended period of time, that’s a concern.
I’ve always said by February you want to be there. Well, we’re in the latter part of February now. It needs to start happening. I think we’re getting close to where I’d have total confidence going into the second week of March knowing we’ve played together for a while.
Q: Expectations for Darryn to play tomorrow?
Self: Oh yeah. Yeah. I haven’t really talked to him since the game Wednesday because yesterday was an off day. We met and watched tape but didn’t do anything basketball-wise. We’ll find out more today, but we haven’t had any issues in practice.
Q: Could the illness have contributed to the cramping issue?
Self: When you get sick, you can lose weight and strength. There are things that happen we’re not going to divulge. Could that have contributed? Absolutely. He did get through the two games prior without issues, so that could certainly be it.
Q: How connected is this team?
Self: I think this team really likes each other. We’re getting more comfortable and understanding each other’s talents. A lot has been made of DP, but I don’t think it’s been made of that within our locker room. Our guys like Darren and Darren likes our guys. I think this is a close team.
Q: What’s the biggest indicator of connectivity?
Self: Guys getting on each other. Guys smiling when they play. After a meal, do 12 guys sit around and hang out instead of going back to their rooms? Can they make fun of me and each other without taking it personal? Those are signs of good chemistry.
Yes, this team does that.
Q: Thoughts on Jerrance Howard and the staff this year?
Self: He’s been great. Jeremy coached the game at Colorado because he has more experience. But Jerrance has been terrific, and the players love him. There’s a connection between our staff and our guys, and I’m very pleased with our staff.
Q: How is this team’s connectivity different from last year?
Self: Last year’s team wasn’t quite as connected. They liked each other, but we had too many interests. This year, it’s more about ball. It’s more connectivity through the game.
Q: Talk about Cincinnati’s size and athleticism.
Self: Their defensive efficiency is around 11th nationally. They can guard. They’re long up front and quick in the backcourt. They’re better than their record shows. You’re not going to score easy against them. You’ll have to run good stuff.
Q: Thoughts on Elmarko’s role off the bench?
Self: I thought he was our best player in the game. When things got tight, he pushed the lead back up. He’s comfortable in his role. I’m not saying he prefers coming off the bench, but he’s comfortable with it. He’s been a big bonus for us.
Q: Is the national chatter about Darryn a distraction?
Self: It’s not a distraction for me. It might be for him. The narrative about why he hasn’t finished games is 70 to 80 percent false. You can’t argue he hasn’t finished games consistently. But the idea that he’s saving himself or load managing couldn’t be more false.
There’s a way to change the narrative: play, finish. If his body allows him to, fantastic. If not, people will talk again.
If he wasn’t a top NBA pick, would people be talking about this the same way? I doubt it.
He loves ball. He studies it. Nobody’s put more time into working on their game than he has. I don’t buy the scenarios being pushed.
Q: Why has there been a shift toward playing bigger lineups?
Self: Length defensively, scoring over length, rebounding. If you play two bigs, ideally one can stretch the floor. The game is cyclical. Teams evolve. The NBA is playing bigger too. But it’ll swing back to small at some point.
Q: Did you anticipate Bryson and Flory playing so well together?
Self: Playing together, yes. Playing this well together, maybe not. I didn’t think the way we were playing Bryson was in his best individual interest, but it was in our team’s best interest. He’s done a great job adjusting and becoming more of a presence near the basket.