Kansas’ annual game at West Virginia won’t feature a Self-Huggins matchup this season

Kansas’ men’s basketball team has a 5-6 record against West Virginia in 14,000-seat WVU Coliseum in a series that started during the 2012-13 season, WVU’s first of 12 campaigns in the Big 12 Conference.

Until this season, all of the KU-WVU games have featured coaching matchups between Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famers Bob Huggins of WVU and Bill Self of KU, who also happen to be good friends.

Huggins, who in 2018 presented Self with a WVU windbreaker that Self good-naturedly wore during the game and in 2022 brought in Self as featured speaker at a cancer fundraiser the night before the KU-WVU game, will have no coaching responsibilities on Saturday when Kansas and WVU meet at 3 p.m., Central time, in Morgantown.

The former Kansas State and Cincinnati coach’s resignation was announced by WVU on June 17, 2023 following Huggins’ arrest on a drunken driving charge in Pittsburgh. Huggins later told the media he never issued a formal notice of resignation and wanted to return as Mountaineer coach.

That hasn’t happened so it’ll be former Huggins assistant Josh Eilert leading WVU during Saturday’s Big 12 battle.

Self was asked Thursday if it’ll be different not seeing the 70-year-old Huggins this trip.

“Maybe I will (see him), who knows?” Self said.

There’s always the possibility the man Self calls ‘Huggs’ could attend and sit in the stands.

“I guarantee Josh will be better dressed, no doubt about that, and look better even if they wear the same thing,” Self joked. “I am a fan (of Huggins). I really want him to be remembered and thought of in a way he’s provided a great legacy to our profession.”

Huggins compiled a 935-414 record in 41 seasons as a head coach; Self is 787-239 overall in 31 seasons.

Huggins, by the way, had an 0-11 record as WVU coach in games played against Self’s Jayhawks in Allen Fieldhouse

“I wish the best for him. That’s not saying I wish it at the expense of anybody else either,” Self stated, adding, “it’ll be different but not something I think about a lot (not coaching against Huggins).”

Eilert is listed as “interim head coach” at West Virginia this season.

“I think Josh has done a good job in a hard situation. That’s not easy. Then you throw in he hasn’t had two or three starters for the entire season, that’s a hard deal,” Self said.

West Virginia enters the game with a 6-11 record, 1-3 in league play. No. 3 KU is 15-2, 3-1.

Fifth-year senior guard RaeQuan Battle, who averages 20.2 points a game, missed the season’s first nine games until second-time transfers were ruled immediately eligible by a federal judge. The former Washington and Montana State standout was scheduled to make his season debut against UMass on Dec. 16 but missed that game because of flu-like symptoms.

Senior guard Kerr Kriisa missed the first nine games of the season because of an NCAA suspension for improper benefits while enrolled at Arizona where he played three seasons.

Senior forward Akok Akok missed the first seven games because of a medical issue. Senior guard Noah Farrakhan missed the first nine games until the transfer rule was changed in federal court.

Senior center Jesse Edwards fractured his wrist against UMass and had surgery on Dec. 20. He is out at least four weeks.

Before Edwards was injured, he ranked third in rebounding, fourth in field goal percentage, third in blocked shots and third in offensive rebounds in the Big 12.

“If Edwards is able to go, he’s a legit top five big man in the country,” Self said of the 6-11, 240-pound big man.

“It’s hard to gauge it (WVU’s season) in large part they haven’t had their full complement of guys. Certainly when they do have all their players they’ll be very formidable for anybody. Take away them playing without guys who combined can get you 40 (points) on a given day, obviously it looks a lot different,” Self said.

In the past, WVU has often used a fullcourt press against KU in games contested in Morgantown.

“I don’t know if they’ll do it as much as they did when ‘Huggs’ was there but they’ll press. They pressed OU (in Sooners’ 77-63 win Wednesday in Norman),” Self said.

KU has committed just 13 turnovers combined the last two games after suffering 18 turnovers in a win over TCU and 18 in a loss to UCF.

“If you look at our performance there’s definitely a correlation between taking care of the ball and us playing better,” Self said. “West Virginia will be a challenge. They’ve always turned us over but they’ve turned everyone over. I am encouraged we’ve handled the ball better, yes.”

KU will return home to meet Cincinnati at 8 p.m., Monday at Allen Fieldhouse.