Jeff Graves has rejoined Kansas University’s men’s basketball team.
Graves, a 6-foot-9 senior, was suspended Friday by KU coach Bill Self after he overslept and missed a late morning practice.
Graves did not accompany the team to Kansas City’s Kemper Arena for Saturday’s game against Oregon.
Graves and members of his family met with Self for an hour and 15 minutes Monday morning. Graves practiced with the Jayhawks Monday afternoon.
Self said Graves, who had a good practice, would make the trip to Reno, Nev., for this weekend’s Wolf Pack Classic, but stated he would decide later if Graves would play in Saturday’s game against UC Santa Barbara.
“That will be a coach’s decision based on how he does this week in practice,” Self said. “Certainly I am not going to guarantee it. I wouldn’t guarantee him playing no matter what, because I thought Moulaye (Niang) played really well Saturday (against Oregon).”
Self said Graves was apologetic during the morning meeting.
The senior center also apologized to his teammates before Monday’s practice.
“We had a good discussion with Jeff and his family members,” Self explained. “They (family members) are obviously concerned. We are concerned. They all know there is no more margin for error.”
Self said he believed the 255-pound Graves would be able to show up for time for practices and team meetings the rest of the season and be a contributing member of the squad.
“I do think Jeff can do it. I also think Jeff would be the first to tell you, talk is cheap. If you say you can do it, then do it, which I believe he can,” Self said. “All he has to do is live up to what he said, live up to his word (at the meeting), which I believe he will do. On the flip side, he knows if he doesn’t, there’s not much rope left,” Self added.
In other words, if Graves misses another practice as he did Friday, he could be booted from the squad for good.
“He’s got to do it over time. There is no quick fix,” Self said.
Self on Monday responded to Illinois coach Bruce Weber’s bizarre comments regarding Self, who Weber replaced at Illinois last April.
Sick of being compared to his predecessor, Weber on Saturday said he wore a black sports coat, black tie and black pants to last Wednesday’s game against Maryland-Eastern Shore as a mock funeral for Self.
“It’s the end of Bill Self,” Weber said he told his Illini players. “It’s over. There’s no more comparing. He’s gone. No more talking about it. I’ll be honest I’m fed up with it.”
Self’s rebuttal: “My wife showed me the article today (on page 2C of the Journal-World). I read the article and the first thing I did was check the pulse, make sure I was still alive. I’m very thankful that it’s one funeral I want to delay as long as possible being present at.”
Weber also said he “kicked Self’s butt” twice as coach at Southern Illinois, beating his Tulsa team once and losing 75-72 to the Illini the other time.
Self expressed shock that he’d had his butt kicked in an Illini victory.
“I have been in coaching 19 years and I’ve never played another opposing coach 1-on-1,” Self quipped.
“I have coached against other coaches’ teams. There’s been numerous times my players have beaten other coaches’ players on the court and numerous times other coaches’ players have beaten my players on the court.
“I know after being in the business as long as I have, it’s about players playing and any veteran coach knows that, any veteran coach knows and understands that,” Self said, stressing the word, ‘veteran.’
“The thing that blows my mind … I have only taken over four programs, but I would think no matter what … when a new coach comes into a program, there will be a time or two you’ll be compared to the people there before you.
“Believe it or not, I actually anticipated myself being compared to Roy Williams who was here before me. I am proud of what coach Williams accomplished at Kansas. I took over a healthy program because of coach Williams. Comparisons don’t bother me because they come with the territory.”
— Chuck Woodling contributed to this report
For more on this story, see the 6Sports reports at 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. on Sunflower Broadband’s channel 6 and pick up a copy of Tuesday’s Journal-World.
