LAWRENCE — Kansas basketball coach Bill Self made an appearance on ESPN’s “College GameDay” show on Saturday, ahead of KU’s game at home against BYU.
The No. 14 Jayhawks (15-5, 5-2 in Big 12) welcome the No. 13 Cougars (17-3, 5-2) to Allen Fieldhouse for this Big 12 Conference matchup. It’s a pairing of two teams that are capable of not just winning the Big 12 this season, but making deep runs in the NCAA tournament. Much of the attention on this matchup has, understandably, been on Kansas freshman Darryn Peterson and BYU freshman AJ Dybantsa.
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Here’s what Self had to say during his time on the show, ahead of tip-off that’s set for 3:30 p.m. (CT) in Lawrence:
How have Bill Self’s past health issues changed his perspective as a coach?
Self, who’s dealt with health issues in recent years and missed a road game at Colorado this season due to one, noted the biggest thing is he doesn’t stress about the little things near as much. That’s not to say he doesn’t at all, but dating back 10 or 20 or 30 years some things he might have thought mattered are actually irrelevant. What truly matters, he said, are the meat and potatoes aspects of it all.
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Why is this Kansas basketball team a fun group to work with?
Self said he’s loved all his teams at KU, but this current group has additional personality. He thinks the fans can identify with the players. It might not have as heralded as a collection of talent as some of the teams he’s had in the past, but he thinks everyone can tell the athletes like playing with each other.
How does Bill Self handled managing having a talent like Darryn Peterson, and working him in with the rest of the team?
Self acknowledged that’s been tough for them this season because the team’s been incomplete, considering the injury issues Peterson has dealt with. Most recently, that’s been an ankle problem. Self doesn’t think KU can reach its ceiling without Peterson.
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However, what’s been fun for Self to watch is how well the team has played in the stretches where they haven’t had Peterson available. The guys have learned how to be aggressive without Peterson, and now it’s Peterson that needs to fit in with them. Originally, the thinking was how the team would fit in with Peterson.
What has kept Bill Self up at night regarding this BYU game?
Self made sure to note he thinks having this show in town is fabulous, and wouldn’t be upset if they came every weekend. However, what’s been important in his mind is minimizing the fanfare of it all so that people don’t get too caught up in it and lose sight of the true emphasis they need to have. That would be being focused when the game tips off.
Kansas basketball coach Bill Self walks out before the game against Baylor inside Allen Fieldhouse on Jan. 16, 2026.
Jordan Guskey covers University of Kansas Athletics at The Topeka Capital-Journal. He was the 2022 National Sports Media Association’s sportswriter of the year for the state of Kansas. Contact him at jmguskey@gannett.com or on Twitter at @JordanGuskey.
This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: What Kansas basketball coach Bill Self said on ESPN ‘College GameDay’
