Bill Self talked the talk about citizenship training early in his second season as Kansas University basketball coach, and his 2008 senior class proves he also walks that walk.

Bill was on a campus panel dealing with ethics and morality in December of 2004. He stole the show with his elaboration of how he recruits athletes and what his goals are for them. His philosophy gets a ringing testimonial through the likes of Darnell Jackson, Russell Robinson, Sasha Kaun, Rodrick Stewart and Jeremy Case, Class of ’08.

Ethicist Howard Josephson asked Self on that 2004 occasion to outline his recruitment process. No fancy language but tremendous depth of commitment from the KU coach.

Bill said he tells parents, guardians, et al, that whether he has a young man for one year or five, his mission is for the kid to leave KU better-educated, beyond basketball, so that he will become a better husband, parent, friend and citizen. Self’s had his failures in trying to turn every frog into a prince, but his percentage is impressive. (Nobody wins ’em all.)

At the time, Self had brought in his first freshman class – Jackson, Kaun, Robinson, Alex Galindo and C.J. Giles. Galindo departed for what he considered brighter horizons, and Giles left here for the Great Northwest after a series of less-than-noble failures at good citizenship. Galindo remains on good terms. Giles missed out on a lot of lessons.

Self inherited Jeremy Case, the hard-working coach’s son, from the Roy Williams era, and the kid has become a poster boy for what Self strives to communicate. Bill later brought in Southern Cal transfer Rodrick Stewart, and while transfers sometimes can be troublesome, Stewart became a notable member of this year’s senior group.

It’s outstanding that Case already has his graduation status and the other four all will get diplomas this spring. All five of them will leave here better basketball players and stronger citizens of the type Self strives to produce.

I think there are NBA pro teams that would benefit handsomely from adding the fast-emerging 6-8 Jackson and the steadily improving Kaun, 6-11 and 250, to their rosters with the notion they will improve beyond satellite status. Barring that, both can probably make very good money playing in European venues. Kaun with his Russian background is noted in that sphere and could help some team a lot as he continues to learn about a game he didn’t start until he was in high school.

RussRob also has the tools to make it in Europe if he is so inclined. Case wants to coach, and Stewart has other plans. But what a nifty advertisement KU’s distinguished Class of ’08 is for the goals Self wants them to pursue when he brings them in. Talk about the “proof of the pudding.” This is a mighty tasty dish.

Backtracking to Self’s first season here, 2003-04, Case is the only Roy Williams recruit still around. Omar Wilkes went home to California; J.R. Giddens had too many Giles tendencies and now stars at New Mexico; Nick Bahe returned to a Nebraska environment; David Padgett has battled injuries to become a standout at Louisville. Bill Self would have busted a gut to make all of them better players and citizens but couldn’t.

Yet he needn’t grieve, nor should we. Bill’s first frosh class and its two add-ons make the old Oklahoma Aggie look pretty good.