To the editor:

Here is an observation from “afar” and some words of hope for all those depressed and downtrodden Kansas basketball fans. If you want to check out Bill Self’s “other” team, they will be playing tonight at the Rosemont Horizon, Rosemont, Ill. (a suburb of Chicago), against the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. And when you see the five U of I starting players walk on the court to start the game you will be seeing five players recruited by Bill Self, trained and schooled by Bill Self, and five players who hold a great deal of admiration and respect for Bill Self. That team will be on its way to winning Illinois’ first national championship!

So please give Mr. Self some time and some consideration to do what he does best! Illinois can’t begin to compare to the rich basketball tradition at Kansas University. KU will be back, under a strong leader that in a few days will be able to point to the NCAA national champion and say “Yes, I had something to do with that!” Just imagine those five starters this Thursday dressed in blue and white rather than “dayglow” orange.

I am a 30-year resident of Illinois but once a Jayhawk, always a Jayhawk (KU class of ’72).

Bob Sullinger

Springfield, Ill.