Going once, going twice :

By Gary Bedore     Aug 28, 2007

Richard Gwin
Kansas University basketball coach Bill Self, right, jokes with teammate Sean Lester about Lester's drive during Self's fundraising tournament. The event, to benefit the Boy Scouts of America, was Monday at Lawrence Country Club.

Bill Self, who said he had not broken 80 on the golf course all summer, appeared a bit embarrassed as participants in his Boy Scout Classic bid for his services Monday at Lawrence Country Club.

“If they bid more than 10 or 15 bucks for me to play with them, they definitely are not getting their money’s worth,” Self, Kansas University’s basketball coach, said with a grin.

Actually, the top offer of $2,000 – presented in support of the Boy Scouts of America – turned out to be a bargain.

The team of Self, Ben Kirtland, Sean Lester, Gary Marvin and Jon Zylstra won the scramble-format event with a 17-under-par score of 53.

Three teams finished runner-up at 54.

“I don’t know what that was for, hopefully a way to raise more money,” Self said sheepishly after a spirited auction decided which foursome would gain KU’s fifth-year hoops coach as an additional member.

Now that school has started, Self, one of 106 participants in the benefit, soon will be putting his clubs away until next spring.

“Gosh, I hope it’s not the last round of the summer,” Self said. “I hope I can sneak out some more, but we’re counting down the rounds now. I guarantee it’s on one hand.”

Self has been spending most of his time running individual workouts for his players, as well as recruiting.

In-home visits will begin Sept. 9.

“We’ll be busy,” Self said. “We’ve got a lot of homes to go into because we’re trying to sign so many kids.”

KU will lose five seniors off this year’s team with others possibly bolting for the NBA.

He likes what he has seen in this year’s KU squad early in the semester.

“I’m excited every year about the season. I think that this year and last year combined would probably be as excited as I’ve been about our returning level of talent. I’m really excited about the progress our guys have made, especially Brandon’s health, because I do think he’s doing very well,” Self said.

Rush, KU’s 6-foot-6 junior guard from Kansas City, Mo., who had right ACL surgery on June 1, started running last week. Rush has said he’ll be back on the court “by Dec. 1 or a month ahead or behind either way.”

Self also has been encouraged by the work ethic of freshmen scholarship players Cole Aldrich and Tyrel Reed and walk-ons Conner Teahan and Chase Buford.

“They are great to be around,” Self said. “They are working hard. We cannot expect them to have the same role that Julian (Wright), Mario (Chalmers) and Brandon had when they first got here because those guys didn’t have guys in front of them. These guys have guys in front of them. They’ll pay their dues, but they are all going to be good players.”

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Good cause: Self is a major supporter of work of the Boy Scouts.

Men’s Basketball

“There are different things that can affect our youth in the community in a positive way, and certainly Boy Scouts is a big part of that,” Self said. “We need more kids to take advantage of the services they provide.”

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His own charity: Self plans a big ASSIST Foundation fundraiser the weekend of Late Night in the Phog, Oct. 12-13. A year ago, 10 fans pledged $10,000 apiece for the right to shadow Self from Friday through Sunday of Late Night weekend.

“Details are getting worked out now,” Self said. “It should be a fun weekend. Last year’s was a huge success. Everybody enjoyed it. Hopefully, we’ll get 10 or 15 people who want to be around the basketball program, take part in it.”

Self’s desire is to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for organizations such as Boys and Girls Club, Salvation Army, Parks and Recreation, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, the school system and children’s cancer research, as well as any other areas in which youths are served.

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Recruiting: Mario Little, a 6-5, 210-pound sophomore from Chipola Junior College in Mariana, Fla., says he has a final list of Kansas, Kansas State and Illinois. Little played high school ball at Chicago’s Washington High

“Illinois, Kansas State and Kansas have something different to offer me,” Little told Rivals.com. “I just like the situation at Kansas State. They are brining in some great players, and there is a lot of excitement around the program. Illinois is close to home, and I grew up a big fan of Illinois.

“Everybody knows that Kansas is a great program. I just like the school. Plus, I’m good friends with Sherron Collins and Julian Wright.”

Little will visit Kansas State on Sept. 14 and Illinois the following weekend. He has not yet set a date for a visit to KU, but told Rivals it likely will come before the K-State trip.

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