WRITER: Matt Tait

KU-Arkansas Notebook: Self status, team comps, Big 12 vs. SEC chatter and more

Des Moines, Iowa — For the eighth day in a nine-day span, the health and availability of head coach Bill Self was a popular topic on Friday at Wells Fargo Arena. While the top-seeded Jayhawks were busy discussing their preparation for Saturday’s clash with No. 8 seed Arkansas — 4:15 p.m. tipoff on CBS — several of them were asked if there was any new news on Self’s status. The short answer was no. ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 coach Bill Self's status for Thursday remains 'day to day' but Jayhawks confident he'll be coaching

Des Moines, Iowa — The official word on Kansas basketball coach Bill Self remains that he is “day to day” and that his status for Thursday’s NCAA Tournament opener will be determined on game day. But at least a couple of Jayhawks believe strongly that they’ll have their head coach on the sideline for Thursday’s game. “He will be coaching,” KU forward Jalen Wilson said during the Jayhawks’ ...