The No. 4 Kansas Jayhawks lost to the No. 5 St. John’s Red Storm 67-65 in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Sunday. Exiting the NCAA Tournament always stings, but St. John’s delivered Kansas a gut punch.
The Red Storm won on a buzzer-beating layup from Dylan Darling. St. John’s triumph — the program’s first Sweet 16 trip since 1999 — was contrasted by Kansas’ sobering new reality. Has the blue blood powerhouse fallen to the middle of the pack? This marks the fourth straight year the Jayhawks have been sent packing in the first or second round of the NCAA Tournament after winning the national championship in 2022.
Afterward, questions arose around longtime Kansas head coach Bill Self’s future.
“I’m not going to say it’s over for Bill Self,” Rock Chalk Blog posted on X. “It seems dumb to act like he’s just forgotten how to coach. But the questions about what he can do in the NIL era are starting to mount a bit. Three straight first-weekend exits, and 6 of the last 7 tournaments, is absolutely brutal.”
Self addressed the elephant in the room during his postgame press conference.
“I haven’t really gone through much on the court,” Self said. “I’ve gone through some stuff off the court, so I’ll get back and get with family and visit and see what’s going on. I love what I do. I need to be able to do it where I’m feeling good and healthy to do it fairly well. So, I’ll get back home, and it’ll all be discussed.”
Self continued: “I haven’t decided. I’ll get back and visit with family. I’ve had obviously some issues off the court, health-wise, and that’ll be discussed. I love what I do. I want to feel good while I’m doing it, though.”
Self was hospitalized in January and later said that doctors diagnosed him with dehydration and AFib, an irregular heart rhythm (KMBC 9 News). Last July, Self underwent a procedure to insert two stents. In 2023, the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame inductee missed the Big 12 Tournament and the NCAA Tournament. He had a stent inserted to treat a blocked artery.
After the loss on Sunday, Self was asked if he’s “completely healthy” currently.
“I don’t know about completely,” Self said. “I feel as good as I’ve felt in a long time. I’m not making any statements whatsoever, but every year, it used to be, when you’ve done this as long as I have, you look at it in 5-year increments. Now I’m probably looking at it more in two-year increments, so to speak.”
Self been KU’s head coach since 2003. He has led the Jayhawks to two national championships (2008, 2022), won Big 12 Coach of the Year six times, and won AP Coach of the Year twice. The Jayhawks are 648-167 across 23 seasons under Self.
