Self clarifies comments on NBA coaching possibility

By Staff Reports     Aug 8, 2013

Nick Krug
Kansas head coach Bill Self questions an errant pass by the Jayhawks during the first half of the CBE Classic, Monday, Nov. 19, 2012 at the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Missouri.

Kansas University coach Bill Self clarified his stance on the possibility of coaching in the NBA a day after earlier comments made national news and even the front page of ESPN.com.

“I only said, ‘Sure, I’d be open to it,'” Self told Reid Forgrave of FoxSports.com on Tuesday. “That was something taken way out of context.”

Self explained that there was a reason he never ruled out taking another job.

“In my situation, I made a mistake before when I was coaching at Illinois,” Self said. “When I first got the job, I made a mistake. I said I was in it for the long haul, and I totally meant it, but I only stayed three years. I learned from then that you don’t really say anything directly. Because you never know. But anybody who knows me knows I’m totally locked in where I’m at.”

On Monday, in an interview with The Oklahoman, Self said this about the NBA: “It hasn’t really tempted me because I haven’t had that many people talk to me about it. But at some point and time, sure, I think it would (tempt me). It would be great to be able to match wits with the best athletes in the world, but I’m certainly happy where I’m at.”

Self reiterated to Forgrave that he wasn’t actively looking for another job.

“Nobody has flirted with me,” Self said. “It’s not like I’m on everybody’s wish list or anything like that. I really don’t know what it would take. But it would have to be awfully good though. Even a so-called better job — I don’t know what job would be better than the one I have right now.”

‘Big Monday’ dates set

The KU men’s basketball team will make four appearances on ESPN’s Big Monday in 2014, tying for the highest number in the conference with Oklahoma State.

KU will be a part of the first two Big Mondays, traveling to Iowa State on Jan. 13 and playing host to Baylor on Jan. 20. All games are scheduled for 8 p.m. CT.

The Jayhawks also will be at Kansas State on Feb. 10 before playing host to Oklahoma on Feb. 24.

Since the start of the Big 12, KU is 49-16 all-time on ESPN’s Big Monday (27-1 at home, 22-15 on the road), which includes a 30-8 record under Self. KU also has won 20 straight ESPN Big Monday games in Allen Fieldhouse, which includes a 16-0 mark under Self.

Turner cuts list

Myles Turner, a 6-11 senior center from Trinity High in Euless, Texas, narrowed his list from 26 schools to eight on Wednesday, Rivals.com reports: KU, Kentucky, Duke, Louisville, Ohio State, Oklahoma State, Texas and Arizona. He’s ranked sixth nationally.

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