Kansas coach Bill Self misses win over West Virginia after being admitted to hospital
Kansas said Thursday afternoon that Self had not suffered a heart attack
Kansas didn't have head coach Bill Self on the sideline for its Big 12 tournament game vs. West Virginia on Thursday.
The university announced Thursday morning that Self would miss the quarterfinal win against the Mountaineers in Kansas City “as he recovers from an illness.” Kansas beat West Virginia 78-61.
An update from the school Thursday afternoon said that Self was hospitalized at the University of Kansas Medical Center in Kansas City and made clear that the coach did not have a heart attack.
“Chief Medical Officer Steve Stites wants to clarify that Coach Self did not suffer a heart attack as reported by some media," a KU statement said. "He arrived at the emergency department last night and underwent a standard procedure that went well. He is expected to make a full recovery.”
According to the Lawrence Journal-World, Self's "long-term prognosis" is "positive," but it's unclear when he will be able to return to coaching. Self was with the team for practice and met with reporters on Wednesday at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City and the school did not say Thursday afternoon if Self would rejoin the team during the tournament. Kansas is set to play Iowa State on Friday.
“I am very grateful for the overwhelming number of well wishes my family and I have received," Self said via the school. "I’m excited to get back with my team in the very near future.”
Norm Roberts, an assistant on Self’s staff since 2012, will serve as acting head coach in Self's absence. Roberts took on the role of acting head coach for the first four games of the season while Self served a four-game suspension for recruiting violations.
Self, 60, has been the head coach at Kansas since 2003 and has led the Jayhawks to nine Big 12 tournament titles and two national championships. The Jayhawks, currently 26-6 overall and ranked No. 3 in the Associated Press Top 25, won the Big 12 regular season title for the 17th time during Self’s tenure in Lawrence this season.
Kansas, the defending national champion, is projected as a likely No. 1 seed in the upcoming NCAA tournament.
