In last Sunday's contest between the Kansas Jayhawks and the Kentucky Wildcats, players were falling left and right-suffering from concussions, rolled ankles-even two fouled out with almost five entire minutes remaining. Things got pretty rough.
After coming out victorious, Kansas coach Bill Self said of the game, "This game went how I scripted it."
Coming from anyone else, it would be difficult to believe that such a physical brawl of a game could actually be orchestrated. Coming from Self, it's hard to doubt.
After all, it was the second top 10 ranked team in a span of 10 days defeated by KU without the services of injured All-American Wayne Simien. Needless to say, it had quite a bit to do with who was manning the reins.
Self is a rare specimen of coaching talent who is thoroughly stomping his mark throughout the Midwest college basketball world. And as his 242-114 lifetime record shows, he is pretty averse to results other than victory.
Chances are, as a fan, or as an opponent, you've seen Self work his magic. Heck, he was even a winner way back when he coached at Oral Roberts (which reminded SLU fans that they were still alive and well when they beat the Bills earlier this year). Currently, his mark can be felt on both the No. 1 and No. 2 ranked (the University of Illinois and Kansas, respectively) teams in the nation.
Before Self came to his position as University of Kansas coach, he spent three years leading Illinois. His stay was short, but definitely sweet for Illini fans.
There he never won fewer than 25 games and brought the team to a Big 10 title along with three tournament appearances including a trip to the Elite Eight in 2001.
Often, I still run into Illini fans who are bitter over his departure, even in spite of their current rank. Who can blame them? I would be too. His mark remains on the nation's top-rated team. If you appreciate the contributions Dee Brown and Deron Williams are making to the Illinois team this season-to some degree, you still appreciate Self.
In coming to the Jayhawks, he set first-year coaching records across the board for one of the nation's most storied programs. He took a team slated for a rebuilding season to a third-straight Elite Eight appearance.
Often, in college ball, the lines get blurred between good recruiting and good coaching. Self clearly holds a strong line on both fronts. He took a team recruited by Roy Williams to play an up-tempo offensive game and quickly molded them into a defensive powerhouse with a methodical high-low attacking style.
Likewise, his recruiting classes are making waves across the Midwest. This year's Kansas freshman class is among the nation's top five, and, as of this point, their recruits for next season are tops in college ball.
Certain realities exist in the ever-changing college basketball world these days, whether right or wrong. Talent becomes increasingly difficult to lure with the shining beacon of the NBA as a constant distraction.
Likewise, no matter how good a regular season a school has, the fans and the media will gauge their success upon their NCAA Tournament performance.
Games in March can't be played or coached as if they were in any other month. In college ball, consistency is important-but not so much as peaking at the right time and winning the big game.
This is the philosophy with which Self manages his teams. It works. In tournament play he boasts a 13-6 record. Good luck finding many coaches with that type of win percentage in March. The ones that turn up likely have a fistful of national championship rings. Self, in all likelihood, is not too far behind.
