In a phone interview Friday afternoon, hours after telling his team that Kansas withdrew from the Big 12 tournament because of a positive COVID-19 test within the program, KU coach Bill Self said he felt excited to deliver the same news all morning. In 2020.
“Last year was exactly around 11pm,” the tone began. “It simply came to our notice then. Same hotel. But it was not an identical room. It had a similar consistency with the players, ‘Hey everyone catches up here, I have to talk to everyone.’ Many similarities. ”
One big difference that Self could feel was that he was finally getting crushed by the news to the 2020 team when there was a temporary shock at Friday’s unexpected meeting.
“Last year was a knockout punch,” he said. “But one more blow this year that knocks you out but you don’t know if you can stand up. But we will. The end game has not been affected this year. ”
KU, who tested positive on Friday, declined to reveal the identity of the player – who had already joined the side of JAHX David McCormick and Tristan Enaruna in entering the COVID-19 protocol – but said that the NCAA would continue to test K to leave for Indianapolis. Good start before Friday.
“Oh, yes,” he said. “We’ve been testing every day for a while.”
The NCAA has said that teams selected to participate in the NCAA tournament will be required to give negative test results for seven consecutive days before leaving for Indianapolis. The teams will be re-tested upon arrival and will also be tested in the NCAA Tournament.
As long as the tests given to Jayaksh continue to give negative results with the rest of the team over the weekend, KU plans to leave for Indianapolis on Monday.
Self said Jaya Xx took off on Friday and on Saturday and Sunday in Kansas City, Mo. Will practice in, while the NCAA was preparing for the tournament, in which he said ‘very unique way.’
Depending on the time of their departure, Self added that KU could also practice in Kansas City on Monday morning.
“The NCAA recommended you practice before you leave, as I don’t think we will be available to practice on the day we get there.”
The Kansas coach’s concern with KU’s practice schedule and flight itinerary hints at his optimism surrounding KU’s chances of playing in next week’s NCAA tournament.
“The end game hasn’t been much affected,” Self said. “But it puts pressure on us to prepare in a very unique way that maybe very few teams have had to go to the NCAA tournament.”
Asked about the film’s work, court preparations and what it looks like, Self simply said, “I don’t know yet.”
He added, “You prepare without a complete supplement of guys, knowing that you will get a complete supplement of guys at a certain time.” “It’s going to be a little different.”
NCAA officials announced last week that the teams would only need five eligible players to take part in this year’s tournament.
While it would clearly put any team at a disadvantage from a deeper point of view, the idea behind the number was to make it as easy as possible for the teams selected to participate on Big Dance on Sunday of that choice.
Self said it was not yet certain whether the player who tested positive on Friday would be able to play next week.
“It will be close,” Sway said. “I’m not sure.”
The NCAA Tournament is scheduled to begin on Thursday with the first four, and the first round games will begin on Friday and Saturday.
Self also noted that, according to the KOKID-19 protocol, returning to Lawrence on Thursday, O’Keefe, who missed Thursday’s win over Ok Klahoma, will not go to Indianapolis with the team on Monday.
“We feel like we’ve got incredible security in place,” Self said. “So we are still confident that we will go to the indie on Monday and hope that there will still be seed in a good good slot. I think we should still have seed in a good good slot, and we will be ready. Either Friday. To play that Saturday. ”
That confidence boosts the team’s sense of his opportunities once he arrives in Indianapolis.
“I think the team is very disappointed,” Self said, not getting a chance to play on Friday night. “I think it’s clear we’re coming into our own. We can’t win, but someone has to play a good game to get us right now.”
