Self won the honor a day after Tubby won the same award based on the votes of the conference’s 10 coaches.

Sportswriters wouldn’t make good coaches, but they consistently do a better job of voting than coaches.

Better dressers? I’m too humble to answer that one.

As for my vote for Self, let’s look at where this team was six weeks ago, when Self gathered the four starters and discussed which center they felt complemented them best. Cheick Diallo, Landen Lucas and Hunter Mickelson had been sharing time, and Carlton Bragg Jr. was an option in some matchups as well.

The Jayhawks were 4-2 in conference then, coming off a blowout loss at Oklahoma State and heading into a home game against Texas.

By the time Self asked the players, he had determined that Diallo’s development wouldn’t be sufficient to handle the Big 12 this season. Mickelson lacked the strength to move bodies in the paint. Self knew the answer was Lucas, but he didn’t show his hand to the other four starters.

“I think coaches are really good at giving up control, and then if they don’t like the answers that they get, they take control back,” said Self, whose candor is much appreciated. “So I think that’s kind of how it works. … I thought it was more important for them to take ownership.”

Self viewed his team’s ceiling higher with one center than using different players for different matchups.

“I wanted the guys to take ownership, and I thought if they took ownership over what they said, then they would have more of a responsibility to make sure it worked out,” Self said.

It certainly worked out because Kansas has won 11 in a row, and Lucas has been a big part of that.

Six Big 12 coaches have reached the Final Four (Huggins twice, Lon Kruger, Shaka Smart, Self twice, Smith and Bruce Weber). Self has the success that could earn him the award every year, but that’s not how it works. Typically, the coach whose team exceeds expectations wins the award. The coaches picked Texas Tech for last, and it finished seventh. The coaches predicted West Virginia for a sixth-place finish, and Huggins coached them into second place. Self’s team exceeded mid-season expectations, and that won the coach the award from the voters who do the best job of voting. You don’t have to be a great chef to know what tastes good.

The rest of my ballot:

First team: Frank Mason III (KU), Monté Morris (Iowa State), Buddy Hield (Oklahoma), Perry Ellis (KU), Georges Niang (ISU).

Second team: Isaiah Taylor (Texas), Devonté Graham (KU), Jaysean Paige (WVU), Taurean Prince (Baylor), Devin Williams (WVU).

Player of the Year: Hield.

Newcomer of the Year: Deonte Burton (ISU).