What Self did not know then, however, was that, in such a short amount of time, he would develop such a significant bond with freshman point guard Devon Dotson that the Jayhawks would enter winter break with just one loss and a whole bunch of quality wins.

Dotson, of course, is not solely responsible for any of them. But he has played a big role in all of them and has made moving on from the likes of Graham and Frank Mason III a much easier endeavor for KU’s Hall of Fame head coach.

Asked recently what exactly goes into building such a quick and concrete bond with a true freshman point guard like Dotson, Self explained that a lot of the dynamic came naturally.

“Probably not as much extra time as what you’d think,” Self said. “I think film can do a lot of it, but also the fact that he knows that I really think he’s good and the fact that he knows that I trust him. Even though he doesn’t know sometimes what he’s doing, I do trust him.”

Nick Krug

History has shown that trust is one of the biggest keys to any relationship between Self and his players. But it takes on even greater importance with a point guard, who often has more roles, responsibilities and reasons to hear from the head coach than any other position.

Because of that, Self and Dotson have had as many individual conversations as anyone during the early stages of the still-young season. And Dotson has loved every minute of it.

“I’ve had different kinds of coaches growing up,” he said. “I’ve had the yelling, going hard at me (types), and I’ve also had the coaches who sit down and kind of talk calmly with me. But I can adapt to how any coach coaches me and just take it as a learning experience every teaching point.”

A confident, explosive point guard from Charlotte, N.C., Dotson already has proven himself to be one of KU’s most important pieces during the Jayhawks’ 10-1 start. Not only is he often asked to initiate KU’s offense, but he also has shown a willingness to take on any defensive assignment and the strength and athleticism to turn the corner and finish at the rim better than anyone on the current Kansas roster.

He enters winter break averaging the third most minutes of any Jayhawk (31.8 per game) and ranks fourth in scoring at 10.8 points per game. He leads the team in assists, with 33, and ranks third in steals with 15. He also is shooting 52 percent from the floor (42 of 81) and 43 percent from 3-point range, knocking in nine of 21 attempts, including two of four in KU’s recent loss at Arizona State.

Self said he thought it was Dotson’s long leash that had expedited his development and production so quickly, and the 16-year Kansas coach could only remember one other true freshman point guard getting the same kind of treatment.

“People forget Tyshawn (Taylor) went against (Syracuse lottery pick) Jonny Flynn and gave him 20 in his fourth game or fifth game,” Self recalled. “Ty was pretty good. But Ty also had Sherron (Collins playing with him). I would say that Ty would be the one guy I could compare (Dotson) to, with that type of speed and having some freedom to play through mistakes.”

That last part has been the biggest key, according to both Self and Dotson.

“I think he trusts me in a way that, no matter what, (he knows) the only time he comes out of the game is a quick breather or if he’s in foul trouble,” Self said. “That’s pretty comforting if you’re a freshman, to have that freedom, which not all freshmen get, unfortunately, because of circumstances.”

Asked if he had a sense for how much trust Self had in him to run the show, Dotson sat back and smiled.

“Yeah, I feel it,” he said. “He doesn’t really say too much about it because in practice, he’s on me. He’s on me as much as anybody. But I would say, just from the start, with Devonte’ leaving, there was a chance for me to come in and play significant minutes and make an impact from the start. From day one, he had expectations of me coming in and making an impact on the team.”

Now that he has done that, the goal is continued improvement and an even bigger impact.

During just about every interaction with the media so far this season, Dotson has made sure to acknowledge how much better he can get and how far from content he is with where he’s at today.

Self, always a willing teacher, seems to love that about his new point guard almost as much as anything. Almost.

“He’s been a sponge,” Self said of Dotson. “The opportunity presented itself perfectly and he’s fought through competition. We could’ve started Marcus (Garrett) or Quentin (Grimes) or Charlie (Moore) at that spot, too. But the biggest thing is, I think he’s just having fun and competing. He’s certainly worried about the right things and his play reflects that.”

Added Dotson: “I’m all about winning. As long as we get the win, I’m happy.”

As for his specific relationship with Self, Dotson said his first five months under Self’s guidance have merely validated what he already believed to be an excellent choice to come to Kansas.

“It’s been great,” he said. “He’s formed a great relationship with my family and (me). He’s very personable. We talk about pretty much anything and he’s always had that trust in me and I’ve had that trust in him. It’s just been a great relationship. He can get on me and really try to push me and I love it.”