Kansas coach Bill Self will miss the No. 1-seeded Jayhawks’ first-round NCAA Tournament game on Thursday vs. No. 16 seed Howard as he recovers from a recent hospital stay. Self, 60, was discharged from the hospital earlier in the week after undergoing a heart catheterization.
Self missed the entirety of KU’s run in the Big 12 Tournament after being hospitalized the night before the team’s opening game in the tournament. KU made it all the way to the Big 12 Tournament title game before falling to No. 2 seed Texas.
Self was expected to re-join the team this week after being discharged from the hospital. As he sits out, assistant coach Norm Roberts, who served as acting head coach during his absence in the Big 12 Tournament, will again step into the role as acting head coach.
“Kansas Men’s Basketball Coach Bill Self will miss today’s NCAA Tournament game versus Howard but continues to progress well from a recent health issue,” KU said in a statement. “Assistant Coach Norm Roberts will serve as acting head coach today.”
Kansas won the Big 12 regular-season title for the 17th time during his tenure with the Jayhawks and secured the No. 1 seed in the Big 12 Tournament after going 25-6 overall and 13-5 in league play.
Kansas plays its first NCAA Tournament game at 2 p.m. Thursday in Des Moines, Iowa, as a 22-point favorite over Howard. The Jayhawks are the reigning national champions and the No. 1 seed in the West Region looking to repeat as champions for the first time since Florida in 2006 and 2007.
