Kansas basketball coach Bill Self had a smile on his face Wednesday, as he addressed the media in Kansas City during Big 12 Conference media days.
Self, whose Jayhawks are the favorite to win the Big 12 on the men’s side, wasn’t able to coach the last time his team was at the T-Mobile Center. A health scare, which Self has made his way back from, forced him to miss the conference tournament there — and eventually Kansas’ two games in the NCAA tournament. So, if the page wasn’t turned already to the upcoming season, after Self made a joke about being able to be around the media again he answered questions about the season at hand.
“I’m real excited about this year,” Self said. “I think we’ve got a roster that has a chance. I think we have a real chance, and I know nothing is guaranteed and we’ve got a lot, a lot of work ahead of us to become what I think we can potentially be, but I do like our roster and I think it should be a fun year for us as long as we can stay healthy.”
Here are some takeaways from his press conference:
Bill Self downplays importance of being a preseason No. 1 team
While Self acknowledged the momentum that can come with being recognized as the preseason No. 1 team, especially in recruiting, he also noted it doesn’t mean anything. He added it doesn’t have any bearing on how the season will go. And, when it comes to Kansas, there’s a desire to outplay how the Jayhawks have performed in the past when they have been preseason No. 1.
“I actually looked at that the other day because I didn’t even know when we had been ranked preseason one,” Self said. “But in the years that we had, we’ve had good years, but they haven’t finished great. So, I’m certainly hopeful that we can change that trend.”
There’s excitement in the direction of the Big 12
Self described BYU, Cincinnati and UCF as great additions to the Big 12, but went farther when it came to Houston. Houston, one of the teams in line to win the conference if Kansas doesn’t, is a team Self said he thinks could win a national title this year. So, it’s clear the league is better this year with the four new teams that have arrived.
Self did allude to a disappointment that the format where everyone played everyone twice, home and away, is gone. But that doesn’t take everything away from the excitement in the Big 12’s direction. And next year, with the additional changes that are set to take place, there could even be more reason to feel that way.
The last three national champions will play at Allen Fieldhouse this season
Self said he hasn’t thought a lot about Kansas’ game against Connecticut just yet. It’s not the first game on the Jayhawks’ schedule, and there’s some time before their game-planning for the Huskies will have to start in earnest. But he is intrigued by the fact the last three teams that have won a national championship, including his own, will play inside Allen Fieldhouse.
Kansas, which won the title during the 2021-22 season, will be there every home game. Connecticut, which won the title last season, will play Dec. 1 in Lawrence. Baylor, which won the title during the 2020-21 season, will play Feb. 10 in Lawrence.
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Jordan Guskey covers the University of Kansas Athletics at The Topeka Capital-Journal. He is the National Sports Media Association’s sportswriter of the year for the state of Kansas for 2022. Contact him at [email protected] or on Twitter at @JordanGuskey.