KU men’s basketball coach Bill Self answered questions from KUsports.com readers Tuesday. Self discussed recruiting, three-point shooting and the KU-UK series, among other topics.

Moderator: We’ll begin our chat with coach Self in just a few moments. Thanks to both him and our readers for their time this morning.

Chris; Marietta, OH: First off, congratulations coach on a fine first year! I was just wondering what your thoughts are on the possible resumption of the series with Kentucky. Thanks.

Coach Self: We’re very hopeful that we can begin that series. I think it’s very important that potential powers can play. I think it’s a series Kentucky has dominated in win-loss record, but we’d like to put ourselves in a position to change that, and I think a game between KU and Kentucky would be great for the fans of both institutions.

Matt, Shawnee: Are all the players with end of the year injuries back to full strength?

Coach Self: No. Keith, J.R. and Wayne, none have been released to play, and probably Wayne has a chance to be released in the next few weeks. He’s doing much better and he’s close to being back to 100 percent, but he’s still not there yet. Keith will probably be the first of July before he starts working out, and J.R. will probably be the first of June.

Aaron, Wichita: Coach Self,
Great job this year, I think you were the perfect man for the job. I know you can’t comment on potential recruits, but do you anticipate getting any commitments from the class of 2005 soon? Do you think it’s important to get a couple guys committed before next fall to set the table for the rest of your recruiting class? Thanks and keep up the good work!

Coach Self: I think it’s always important to get a couple guys to jump on board early, but I don’t know if it’s imperative. It’s important because you narrowed your pool of recruits. We’d like to get as much done as soon as possible, but we’re not going to take somebody just to take somebody. Some recruits don’t want to do anything until the fall, but we’re hopeful some of the guys we’re recruiting will want to do something before that.

Matt, Shawnee: Why not play Kentucky at AFH this year? Why did it end up with KU traveling to Rupp?

Coach Self: It really fits better for our schedule and their schedule with what we’re trying to do with our home schedule. It’s not confirmed yet, but I think it’s a better balance if we do go on the road first, because right now we’re only playing two true road games in the nonconference: Kentucky and Villanova.

Stephven, Overland Park: Coach, do you feel that the quality of college basketball will decline with so many kids jumping straight to the N.B.A. out of high school? If the trend continues with the top high school kids going league, will you cater your recruitment to kids who will most likely stay at Kansas for 4 years?

Coach Self: I think that the times have seen teams like the Fab Five, like the Kansas team in the mid-90s with Raef, Paul, Jacque and Scott, I think those days probably won’t exist much longer. Not because those type players will go to college, but because they won’t stay. I really believe that that will occur, but I dont’ think that the enthusiasm or the interest in our college game will decline at all. No matter what, the NCAA Tournament I believe is the most-watched sporting event of the year and I don’t believe anything like that will change. To fans and sometimes coaches it’s frustrating, but I’m a big believer in recruiting the best kids you can. You want to win, and I think good players will recruit other good players as well.

Sue, Lawrence: Coach, we are SO happy to have you in Lawrence and at KU. Over the last year, what have you liked about Lawrence/KU the most, and what have you liked the least?

Coach Self: There’s really no anything I don’t like about the community. I like the weather, I love the town, the people have been very, very nice to my family and there are lots of activities for my children. The thing that makes it for us, and everywhere we’ve been, is the job. When you have players like we do and fans who support us like ours do, how can anyone in our position not like what’s going on in the community?

David, Chicago: As a graduate of KU and living in Chicago among numerous KU grads, we’re obviously very excited to see KU take on some Big Ten match ups that will bring the Hawks closer to home. Any hope in the near future of seeing you guys in or near Chicago? Vs. Illinois, Northwestern, MSU, MU, IU?

Coach Self: We go back to Michigan State next year, and right now that’s the only Big 10 we’re contracted with. We’re going to try to recruit the Midwest, so I’m not against trying to schedule in the Midwest. I’m not sure I’m ready to play Illinois yet when all the guys we recruited are still there because I think there’d be too much of a distraction, but I do think we’re always going to try to play in the Midwest.

Bryce, Hutchinson: Coach Self — When considering whom to hire as an assistant coach, which is more important to you, a X’s and O’s coach or a coach that excels at recruiting?

Coach Self: I would say both. What you do in hiring coaches is you try to hire somebody who brings something to your staff. You may have a staff who’s strong in a certain area of recruiting, so you’d want somebody who’s stronger in another area. We’ve always tried to hire somebody who brings something to the table and makes us who are already here better. Regardless of where you coach, you’ll be a better coach with good players. Hire good coaches, hire guys who are good ambassadors to your program, but they have to be very skilled in recruiting as well.

John, Hutchinson, KS: Coach, with commitments from top recruits being made earlier and earlier, at what point do you start evaluating and actively recruiting young players.

Coach Self: I would say we do have a freshman list, but the summer before their sophomore year is where we’ll try to identify to get a core list we can begin getting to know the coach and begin pursuing it through those avenues. Then, just about everybody we’re going to recruit we’ll know about before his junior year. We may get a core list going into the sophomore year, and sometimes that core list changes, but we’ll know who we want to recruit for the most part by their junior year.

Nick, Great Bend, KS: What is assessment on depth at each position next year? What do you plan on doing differently to adjust to any potential depth issues?

Coach Self: Hopefully we’ll address our depth issues through recruiting and some of our young guys will develop and give us some additional playing time through strength or experience. I really hope we’re two-deep at every position. I hope we can play 10 comfortably, knowing that I may not play 10 each and every game. I think having a rotation of eight, with a ninth player as a wild-card guy is the perfect answer for success. Looking at our stats, I think playing eight for large numbers of minutes and playing a ninth for fewer minutes would be our core group.

Scott, Lawrence: First of all, thanks for all of the hard work for our university and the program. What kinds of things will Moulaye be working on this summer? Will Danny be able to work with him one-on-one?

Coach Self: No, coaches can’t work with guys once school’s out. Moulaye will be working on what he’s been working on, being in the locker room and such. He just needs to play and get more experience. Moulaye’s improved, and he just needs to get stronger and have a good summer, which I anticipate him having.

Katie, Tulsa: Coach Self, how has the end to the 5 and 8 rule changed the way you are recruiting for this coming year and next year?

Coach Self: I don’t think it’s affected the year after next, but for this upcoming year. Initially we have a chance to recruit two instead of one, and that’s how it could affect us in the short run. In the long run, with the four seniors we have and if anything unforseen happens, we know we can look to sign five. Basically, in the next two years, this rule will probably allow us to have two more scholarship players on our team. Doesn’t mean we’ll fill those scholarships, but we’ll be have the opportunity to.

Matt, Rochester MN: Coach Self, I am excited to have you as our coach at the University of Kansas. I appreciate the class that you and your staff bring to the basketball program and University. My question is about our team’s perimeter shooting. Is Russell Robinson a player that you think will contribute right away with the outside shot, and are the other guys working this summer with the “Gun” to get a lot of repetition in from the outside?

Coach Self: We do have a “Gun” (a shooting machine) and it is available to our players, but right now when you really look at it, you have Aaron, Mike, Jeremy and Jeff Hawkins as the guys who are on scholarship and are healthy. A lot of our perimeter shooting will come from Keith and J.R. and they haven’t been able to work out. But there’s no question our guys will spend a lot of time in the gym and work on their shot development. As good as J.R. shot last year, I think he can be better, and I think Keith, Aaron and Mike can be more consistent. As good as we can be, adding another player to this recruiting class could help. Russell will be a good shooter. He had a bit of an off-year last season and needs to spend some time in the gym, but I think he has the potential to be an excellent shooter as well.

BigGlo, Lawrence: I know you can’t comment on recruits but it looks like you are doing a great job for the class of 2005. Looks like you have lots of choices, a great problem to have. Can you briefly explain how you and the staff decide on which players to pursue, offer and sign?

Coach Self: We break it down to explosiveness, athletic ability, if they can shoot and/or score and how tough they can be. For next year’s class we need to attempt to replace Wayne and attempt to replace our perimeter who’s graduating, so that will be our emphasis.

Dan, St. Louis: If you weren’t in coaching, what do you anticipate you would be doing?

Coach Self: I don’t know what it would be, but it would probably be something in sales. I like people and trying to work with people and I also like pushing a product. That’s kind of what recruiting is.

Moderator: That concludes our chat. Again, thanks to coach Self and our readers for their time this morning.