In a telephone interview on Friday afternoon, just hours after telling his team that Kansas had withdrawn from the Big 12 tournament because of a positive COVID-19 test within the program, KU coach Bill Self , said the whole morning seemed eerily similar to delivering the same news in 2020.
“Last year was around 11 am,” Self started. “This year was around 11 am. Same hotel. But it was not the same room. It was the same setup with the players, ‘Hey guys, wait here, I want to talk to everyone.’ Many similarities. ”
The only big difference that Self could feel, however, was that the latest news delivery for the 2020 team was overwhelming, while Friday’s unexpected meeting was another temporary setback.
“Last year was a knockout,” he said. “But this year is another blow that brings you down, but you don’t know if you can get up. But come on. The final game was not affected this year. ”
Self declined to reveal the identity of the KU player who tested positive on Friday – joining the already retired Jayhawks David McCormack and Tristan Enaruna to enter the COVID-19 protocol – but said the KU extension of consecutive tests required by the NCAA to go to Indianapolis started well before Friday.
“Oh, yes,” he said. “We have been tested every day for some time now.”
The NCAA said that teams selected to compete in the NCAA Tournament will need to produce negative test results on seven consecutive days before they even leave for Indianapolis. All teams will be tested again on arrival and also during the NCAA Tournament.
As long as tests administered to the Jayhawks continue to produce negative results with the rest of the team over the weekend, KU plans to leave for Indianapolis on Monday.
Self said the Jayhawks took time off on Friday and would practice in Kansas City, Missouri on Saturday and Sunday as they prepared for the NCAA tournament in what he dubbed “a very original way”.
Depending on the time of departure, Self added that KU could also practice in Kansas City on Monday morning.
“The NCAA recommended practicing before leaving, because I think we will not be available to practice the day we get there,” he said.
The Kansas coach’s concern about the KU’s training schedule and flight schedule gave an indication of his optimism about KU’s chances of playing in next week’s NCAA tournament.
“The final game was not very affected,” said Self. “But it presses us to prepare in a unique way that probably very few teams have ever had to go to an NCAA tournament.”
Asked what that would be like, in terms of film work, court preparation and the like, Self said simply, “I don’t know yet.”
“You get ready without all your boy add-ons, knowing that you will have all your boy add-ons back at any given time,” he added. “It will be a little different.”
NCAA officials announced last week that teams would need only five players eligible to compete in this year’s tournament.
While this obviously put any team at a disadvantage from a depth perspective, the idea behind the number was to make participation as easy as possible for the teams selected for the Great Dance on Selection Sunday.
Self said he was still unsure whether the player who tested positive on Friday would be able to play next weekend.
“It would be close,” Self said. “I’m not sure.”
The NCAA tournament is scheduled to start with the top four on Thursday, and first round games will start on Friday and Saturday.
Self also noted that McCormack and Enaruna, who lost Thursday’s victory over Oklahoma while isolating themselves in Lawrence under the COVID-19 protocols, would not travel to Indianapolis with the team on Monday.
“We feel that we have unbelievable safeguards in place,” said Self. “So we are still confident that we will go to Indy on Monday and, hopefully, we will still be placed in a very good slot. I think we should still be in a very good slot and be ready to play on Friday or Saturday. ”
That confidence extends to the team’s feeling about their chances when they get to Indianapolis.
“I think the team is very disappointed,” said Self of not having a chance to play on Friday night. “I think it is obvious that we are doing well. We may not have won, but someone would have to play well to get us now.”