KU’s Bill Self gives health updates on Jayhawks players (and himself) as 2023-24 begins

Bill Self worked up quite a sweat Tuesday afternoon while blasting tee shot after tee shot into a golf simulator during an hourlong workout at Parsons Xtreme Golf in Overland Park.

“Well, considering I hit 750 balls today, I’m kind of tired right now,” Self, who Monday began his 21st season as Kansas men’s basketball coach, said with a smile, answering a media member’s inquiry about his health status entering the 2023-24 KU school year.

Remember Self, 60, had a catheterization with two stents placed in his heart last March.

“I appreciate you asking. I feel fine. I feel good,” Self stated. “Certainly that was something (in which) the timing was the worst thing about it, with our season’s most important part going on. It’s been handled. I’ve certainly got a clean bill of health. I’m looking forward to feeling better and doing this for a long time.”

Self after a competition Tuesday against former Jayhawk guard Greg Gurley conceded the Jayhawk Radio Network color analyst “outdrove me by a couple yards. But I think it was pretty much no contest if you are trying to play from tee to green,” Self added with a laugh after declaring himself the overall winner over Gurley.

So Self is healthy. What about his team following its recent trip to Puerto Rico, where the Jayhawks defeated the Puerto Rico Select Team and split two games vs. the Bahamian National Team.

“We’re all good,” Self said. “Arterio (Morris, knee strain) is about 80%. We’ll hold him out this week (of four hours of practice time per week allowed by NCAA). He’ll shoot but not have contact.”

Self said because of a grueling 10 practices prior to the Puerto Rico trip in July and the games during the Aug. 1-8 trip, the plan is to ease into the semester, not practice hard at this time.

“We’re going to be practicing. It’s not going to be the high-intensity stuff yet. ... What we did this summer I think takes the place of some of that. Our guys … they don’t need to get away from it totally. They need to get away from it from the daily intensity standpoint. We’ll back off for a couple weeks, then we’ll start hitting it hard.”

Self was enthused about the split of two games with a Bahamian National Team that Sunday knocked off Argentina on Argentina’s home court to win the FIBA Pre-Olympic qualifying tournament.

“We got a lot out of it. We played a really, really good team that we beat once. They got us once,” Self said. “I don’t know if people saw they just beat Argentina in the tournament to qualify for the Olympics. I think we learned a lot from them (in playing against NBA players Buddy Hield, in both games, and Eric Gordon in the loss).”

Of upcoming practice sessions, Self did note that “we’ve got to get Johnny caught up in a lot of ways.”

Johnny is Johnny Furphy, a 6-8, 202-pound freshman guard from Melbourne, Australia, who committed to KU on Aug. 3. He starred at the NBA Academy Games in early July, drawing interest from Duke, North Carolina, Gonzaga and others.

“Johnny got here on Friday night late,” Self said. “Then we were with him Saturday and Sunday. We did a light workout Monday. He was great. He’s 6-8. He’s got to get stronger definitely, do some things. He’s an athlete who can shoot. I see him as being one of the better prospects in our program. Time will tell but I can’t imagine him not being a big part of who we are immediately and playing a big role.”

Self had no news to report on the location of the 2023 Maui Invitational, set for Nov. 20-23 in Lahaina, Maui, a Hawaiian city that recently was devastated by wildfire.

“I talked to Dave Odom, who is actually running the tournament. Dave at this point in time doesn’t know exactly what’s going to happen,” Self said. “The government over there … I’m sure the governor and the higher ups will probably determine whether or not if it would be possible (to hold it in Maui) and if it would be best for the island if in fact the teams did come.

“I think if the games are being played next month, you say no (to playing in Maui). Being played around Thanksgiving … we don’t know yet. Dave is confident that tournament (if necessary) would be relocated to a place all the fan bases would still look forward to going and attending. I don’t know where that is.”

Self said “my wish (is) and I’m hopeful it’s best for the people of Maui and the town of Lahaina to bring some tourism there. If in fact it would be best for them, I know our fan base would be all for it to go.”

KU will play Illinois in an exhibition game on Oct. 29 with proceeds from the game being donated to the Hawaii Community Foundation Maui Strong fund providing financial resources toward relief efforts in Lahaina.

“It’ll be fun. It will be my first time back there,” said Self, coach of the Illini from 2000 to 2003. “Even though we only spent three years there, they were really good years. I’m sure that there will be a chorus (of boos) similar to maybe Bramlage (Coliseum, Manhattan) or the arena at Mizzou. I’ll just make sure I walk in with Hunter Dickinson (former Michigan forward) and blame him for the chorus of boos. But it’ll be a good time.”

Self is hoping to hear reports of other exhibitions being scheduled soon for Maui relief.

“Hopefully what we’re doing with the game with Illinois will spearhead 50 other games, and if you spearhead 50 other games across America and they are good matchups, I’m hopeful we can raise north of $50 million we can send over there,” Self said, “which isn’t significant in the big scheme of things. I think I read they need about $8 billion to actually recover from everything. I do think it would be something significant and would draw so much attention to the tournament and the people in Maui that I think through the tournament we can raise significant funds.”