St. Louis ? Brooke Waldron won’t ever forget huddling with classmates in the student pavilion at KU Medical Center, watching as beloved coach Roy Williams’ teary eyes and farewell words cut them to the bone during a televised introductory press conference in Chapel Hill, N.C.

But today, hanging out with family and gearing up for today’s NCAA regional final in St. Louis, Waldron figures that her team not only is in good hands but also stands a better chance of winning it all now that Williams’ 15-year stay in Lawrence is done.

After all, she said, Williams’ North Carolina Tar Heels are at home this weekend, having lost in the second round, while KU’s Jayhawks continue flying high under new coach Bill Self.

“I was getting tired of following them all over — to St. Louis, San Antonio, Atlanta and New Orleans — and losing,” said Waldron, now a KU graduate student, who made the drive for this weekend’s games from Ottawa. “It always seemed like we had a great team all the time, and we’d always fall short.

“Roy’s a nice guy, but he didn’t get it done. I just think Bill’s a better coach. He just lets them play, gets them to be more aggressive, with a lot of intensity.

“I think they can do it.”

The “it,” of course, is winning a national championship. And as the Jayhawks need a win today to move another step closer to that ultimate goal — the winner of today’s 1:40 p.m. game earns a trip to the Final Four in San Antonio — the buzz among KU’s faithful gathered in St. Louis is that KU certainly is on the right track.

Postseason proof

And it’s Self leading the way.

Kansas coach Bill Self and Georgia Tech coach Paul Hewitt, below, answer questions from the media. The coaches met the press during a news conference Saturday in St. Louis.

“I’m not going to make any comparisons between Roy Williams and Bill Self, but one thing I do know is that we have an absolutely first-rate basketball coach,” KU Chancellor Robert Hemenway said after KU blistered the University of Alabama-Birmingham, 100-74, to earn a spot in today’s regional final. “He’s proven it during the season, and he’s definitely proving it now.”

Other fans aren’t interested in diplomacy.

“Everybody said that Roy couldn’t win it all,” said Bryan Gurss, a KU sophomore from Tonganoxie. “Bill Self’s doing all this after losing two All-Americans.”

Gurss’ key point: Williams’ teams often had to hang on for close wins early in the tournament, to lightly regarded teams such as Holy Cross and Utah State.

“Self doesn’t let that happen,” he said, noting the 26-point drubbing of UAB and earlier wins of 15 points against Pacific and 25 against Illinois-Chicago. “He doesn’t underestimate the competition as much. It’s like Coach K — he never has close early-round games, and he’s had a few championship runs at Duke.

“Bill’s like a younger Coach K, the way he wins the games you should win by big margins. He’s not playing down to the competition.”

Tiger tamer

Georgia Tech coach Paul Hewitt

Jeremy Fischer, a KU sophomore from Jefferson City, Mo., loves seeing Self quickly call timeouts to stop opponents’ runs, something Williams loathed to do. Or come up with a practice plan that would throw eight defenders on the floor to simulate UAB’s stifling defensive pressure, a move that ended up giving 30,801 spectators a chance to observe an officiated and high-stakes layup drill.

But most of all, he loves that Self is undefeated against the Missouri Tigers: 3-0 this season, plus 2-0 from his days as coach at Illinois.

“I love Self,” Fischer said. “All my Missouri friends, they’re saying it used to be easy to hate KU — because of Roy and his attitude — but now they’re saying it’s hard to hate KU because Bill’s such a nice guy and such a good coach.

“You can’t beat that.”

Adds Mike Karlin, a KU sophomore from Overland Park: “It was sad when Roy left, and a lot of people were hating him; he’s a good coach. But I think we’re better off with Bill. He prepares better. He’s definitely the reason we’re here now.”

Enjoyable ride

At the team hotel, fans milled about in the lobby Saturday afternoon, happily catching glimpses of players as they returned from practice. J.R. Giddens’ focused smile proved infectious as he strolled through the lobby, accepting hugs and welcoming encouragement.

“Everybody’s just glad to be here,” Todd Sutherland said, taking in the scene from a couch. “We’re surprised, pleased, just enjoying the ride.”

Reminded that Williams had often spoken of enjoying the ride or journey or whatever the NCAA Tournament had become, Sutherland coughed.

“Roy talked that, but he didn’t do it,” said Sutherland, president of University National Bank in Lawrence. “He was so nervous all the time.

“It’s just a different feel now. If we don’t win, there’s no problem. There just doesn’t seem to be the anxiety level. Obviously, the expectations were lower this season — and they may be up now — but we haven’t had this kind of feel.”

And, to hear Sutherland and other KU fans tell it, it feels plenty good.