On the biggest day of Bill Self’s career, fittingly, it rained.”It’s been a pretty crappy couple of months,” the beleaguered Jayhawk coach said on Thursday.It was a strange setting (a press conference) at a strange time (late June), but Thursday was the defining moment of Self’s coaching career. With a swift shove of J.R. Giddens in the general decision of the nearest door, Self finally did what we’ve been wanting for years. ![][1]He made the tough decision.What Self did on Thursday wasn’t easy. The infamous Moon Bar investigation still isn’t complete. Giddens can be likeable and charming when he wants to be. And above all the Jayhawks needed Giddens next year, for both his athleticism and (allegedly) his leadership.But just when we thought that all Self cared about was the program’s bottom line, he made a stand.Sometimes, winning isn’t enough.This decision was made for the program’s benefit. Self wanted to show that Kansas basketball was bigger than one person, even if that person had a marginal attitude and jump shot. It was the same decision that Roy Williams would have made, which is a huge compliment at this juncture.Now, Self needs to focus on repairing the reputation of a basketball program that has been more in step with Cincinnati recently than North Carolina.From the seedy hiring of a recruit’s father to a long line of questionable transfers, the Jayhawk program has seen more upheaval in the last two years than it saw in the previous two decades.The Giddens decision was the first step in righting the ship.”It was an isolated situation,” Self said. “But one that has certainly, and rightly so, created a stir in our program.”Self made a hard decision by encouraging Giddens’ departure. KU basketball will be better without Giddens. And Self will be a better coach after everything he’s gone through the last few weeks.Finally, the Moon Bar incident is in Self’s past. He’s now overdue for some sunshine. [1]: http://etc.lawrence.com/galleries/images/KUvsMU030605/thumb/giddensjube.jpg