WRITER: Matt Tait

'Hard hats win' - How a simple gesture between player and coach helps remind Kansas what wins in March

Des Moines, Iowa — It’s a simple gesture that lasts no more than a second, and if you’re not watching closely, you’ll miss it. It happens every game, during the starting lineup introductions, and has for all 35 Kansas basketball games this season and the final 10 or so a season ago. After hearing his name called by the public address announcer and racing out to mid-court to shake hands with his ...

A game in the life of acting Kansas basketball coach Norm Roberts

Des Moines, Iowa — The general consensus of opinion among the Jayhawks is that the biggest difference between the way assistant coach Norm Roberts manages a game on the bench and the way head coach Bill Self does it is that Self is much louder and Roberts is much calmer. On Thursday afternoon at Wells Fargo Arena, my court-side seat for the Jayhawks’ 96-68 win over No. 16 seed Howard was about 15 feet from ...

Welcome to the Dance: Kansas freshman Gradey Dick sizzles in first ever March Madness game, Jayhawks roll 96-68

Des Moines, Iowa — For the first 90 seconds of Thursday’s 96-68 win by top-seeded Kansas over No. 16 seed Howard, Gradey Dick looked like he was struggling to settle into the game. He was beat back door on defense for Howard’s first basket of the game. He gave up a 3-point play with a foul on another trip. And he was momentarily in the wrong spot in KU’s offense on the Jayhawks’ second trip down the ...

Kansas-Howard notebook: Self out, McCullar returns, Wilson reaches another milestone in big KU victory

Des Moines, Iowa — Kansas basketball coach Bill Self was not on the sideline for Thursday’s 96-68 NCAA Tournament-opening win by the top-seeded Jayhawks over No. 16 Howard. Instead, Self watched the game at the team hotel while assistant coach Norm Roberts continued to handle head coaching duties for the Jayhawks in his absence. Shortly before Thursday's tipoff, Self joined radio play-by-play ...

Kansas basketball coach Bill Self will not coach vs. Howard in NCAA Tournament opener

Des Moines, Iowa — Kansas basketball coach Bill Self will not be on the sideline for today’s NCAA Tournament opener for the top-seeded Jayhawks, who will take on No. 16 seed Howard at 1 p.m. at Wells Fargo Arena. Instead, Self is expected to watch the game at the team hotel while assistant coach Norm Roberts continues to handle head coaching duties for the Jayhawks in his absence. Self, who was released ...

KU guard Kevin McCullar Jr. pain free and ready to roll for top-seeded Jayhawks

Des Moines, Iowa — Kansas guard Kevin McCullar Jr. is all the way recovered from the back spasms that have plagued him recently and ready to get things started during his first NCAA Tournament as a member of the Jayhawks. “I don’t feel any pain no more. We got it resolved,” McCullar said during Wednesday’s media session at Wells Fargo Arena, ahead of Thursday’s first-round game with Howard. “Back ...