No. 19 Kansas will have veteran coach Bill Self back when it puts its three-game winning streak on the line against host Kansas State for a Big 12 Conference showdown on Saturday in Manhattan, Kan.
The Jayhawks (14-5, 4-2 Big 12) were without Self for their 75-69 road win at Colorado on Tuesday. The 63-year-old coach was hospitalized and released Monday with chest pain after he received IV fluids.
Kansas assistant coach Jacque Vaughn moved to the first seat on the bench and guided the Jayhawks through a tightly contested game. Kansas led by two at the half and held off the feisty Buffaloes in the second half.
Melvin Council Jr. led Kansas with 18 points, Tre White contributed 17 points and 15 rebounds, Darryn Peterson added 16 points and Flory Bidunga recorded 11 points and nine boards.
Self said Thursday that he plans to coach against the Wildcats while making it clear that the medical issue will not be a recurring problem.
“The situation I had was very similar to what many people have,” Self told reporters. “Mine got me pretty good for a short snippet of time and then was under control. That won’t have any impact at all moving forward in any way, shape or form.”
The Wildcats (10-9, 1-5) snapped a five-game skid their last time out with an 81-78 home win over Utah.
P.J. Haggerty scored 28 of his game-high 34 points in the second half as he connected on 15 of 29 field-goal attempts. He rounded out the stat sheet with eight rebounds, four assists and two steals. David Castillo added 20 points, and Nate Johnson contributed 17 points for Kansas State, which has been besieged by injuries and dressed only 10 players. The Wildcats received eight points from their reserves.
Haggerty, a junior guard, averages a team-best 23.4 points per game and also leads the Wildcats with 5.2 rebounds.
Kansas State coach Jerome Tang said that despite a depleted roster, the Wildcats have the fortitude to persevere.
“We’ve got high-character guys that will show up every day and bring energy,” Tang said. “We are learning how to move on to the next thing.”
Among the injured, Kansas State will be without Abdi Bashir Jr., who will be sidelined for four to six weeks due to a stress fracture in his foot that required surgery on Tuesday. The junior guard is the Wildcats’ second-leading scorer at 13.2 points per game.
With a quick release and long-distance shooting range, Bashir had started every game for Kansas State this year prior to facing Utah. He shoots a team-high 44.4% (67 of 151) from 3-point range.
Also sidelined for Kansas State is senior wing Khamari McGriff (10.2 ppg), who is day-to-day with an unspecified injury. Junior wing Elias Rapieque (4.1 ppg), who has started 12 games, is also day-to-day with an undisclosed injury.
Even though Tang had to be reminded instate rival Kansas is on deck, he was sure the Wildcats would be prepared.
“We’ll be fired up regardless of who we are playing next,” Tang said. “Every game is a big game.”
–Field Level Media
