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 ...

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 ...

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 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 ...

Getting to the point: Lead guard showdown will be big in top-seeded Kansas' Round 1 clash with Howard

Des Moines, Iowa — As the point guard and one of the leaders of the Kansas basketball program, KU’s Dajuan Harris Jr. has an important role no matter who he’s facing or when the game takes place. That certainly will be the case in the top-seeded Jayhawks’ first-round NCAA Tournament matchup with No. 16 seed Howard on Thursday, — 1 p.m. tipoff on TBS — when Harris is asked to check Howard point ...