Could This be it for Self?
Bill Self is back at the top of his game. When you examine all that goes into coaching college basketball, it’s clear that Self is the best in the business and odds on online casinos show that.
It was shown on Monday. Self’s name is usually included when ranking individuals at the top of a best-coaches list, if you ask just about everybody in the collegiate coaching business. He is often seated in the first position.
What Happened on Monday?
On Monday night, his No. 1-seeded Jayhawks made history by holding off North Carolina 72-69 to capture the program’s fourth national championship: 1952, 1988, 2008, and now.
Self has made history by becoming the first Kansas coach to win two NCAA Tournament championships. Self led his team back to the summit fourteen years after Mario Chalmers struck a game-winning 3-pointer to rescue Kansas from a nine-point hole late against Memphis to win in OT. He did it in classic Self fashion, coaching a second-half masterpiece and doing something that had never been done in a championship game in the event’s 80-plus-year existence.
What Could be Next?
For Self and Kansas, the victory comes with a looming issue. Self’s ability to accomplish or wish to do may be influenced by that unclear future. Kansas is awaiting NCAA sanctions (through the IARP), and sources say that the consequences are likely to be harsh – and coming soon. It seems likely that a decision on Kansas will be made in the near future.
This, of course, is related to the FBI incident, since the NCAA has charged Self and his program with five Level I infractions. He’ll almost certainly get a ban, which may last anywhere from a few games to the full season. He’ll fight it all, and the university will very definitely sue on his behalf, but there is no appellate procedure since this is the IARP.
Kansas Could be Banned
The question is as follows: I’ve got Title No. 2 in my hands. Self has once again triumphed in the sport. Would he want to take a step back on top? I don’t believe he will. But who could blame him if he made the decision? We already know how little Self and Kansas care about the NCAA’s handling of this matter based on their previous remarks. It’s the most acrimonious relationship between a school and the NCAA we’ve seen in a long time – maybe ever. However, the individual and his program are facing five Level I complaints. Kansas might be in for a major disaster later this spring.
No one knows when Self’s next game will be, but it’s reasonable to assume he won’t be coaching college basketball in November, especially given the likelihood of a suspension. He still has plenty of coaching years remaining in him at the age of 59. What will he do with them once he has them?
What if the NBA Approaches?
That league has a high percentage of job turnover. Only a few applicants would have Self’s qualifications. He’s been considered in the past and is well-liked. There’s a natural interest that has persisted for years in him, as it has in many other college coaching greats. Sure, he’d have to be given a job, but who’s to say he wouldn’t accept it if he was? Should you or shouldn’t you?
However, it’s possible that this will merely serve to refuel him. College coaches are more likely to resist, battle, and push back against the NCAA than to ignore penalties and seek success elsewhere. That seems to be the most probable scenario. After years of recruiting ambiguity, Kansas has finally earned a national championship. A national title will provide it with as big of a lift as it could possibly ask for, especially considering the uncertainties surrounding its case. A title, if anything, may assist overcome recruitment roadblocks.
A second one took him 14 years to win. In his sport, he is one of just 16 guys who has accomplished this feat. It seems right for him to be here, even if he is a few years late. That’s how good he is. It was just a numbers game with Self and Kansas, and if he continued at it long enough, he’d get there. In 2020, when Kansas had the greatest squad, he may have made it. \
If the epidemic had never struck, we may be talking about three-time champion Bill Self on Tuesday following the championship game. The NCAA Tournament is very difficult to win, but Self is an excellent coach. Getting two isn’t so much an accomplishment as it is a logical continuation of his career — even if his rise has been marred by allegations of rule violations, which will make Kansas’ impending infractions case one of the biggest storylines of the summer.
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