As the No. 1 Kansas Jayhawks continue their pursuit for back to back championships, with a showdown vs. No. 8 Arkansas, they'll once again be forced to do it without their head coach Bill Self.
Jeff Goldman reports Self is sidelined Saturday as he continues to recover from a heart procedure, which occurred last week.
Self has been out since the Big 12 tournament when he was originally ruled out because of an illness. It was later revealed Self underwent a "standard procedure," more specifically a heart catheterization — not a heart attack.
Norm Roberts took the reins as acting coach and served in that role for the rest of the conference tournament and for Kansas' Round 1 game vs. Howard.
That will indeed be the case once again.
What exactly happened to Self, and when will he be back? Here's what to know about the Kansas coach's absence.
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What happened to Bill Self?
Kansas announced March 9that Self was a patient of the University of Kansas Health System. The medical center said Self was recovering from "a standard procedure that went well."
"He is expected to make a full recovery," the statement read. "There will be no further medical details released for now."
Kansas later revealed that Self had undergone a standard heart catheterization in a statement. He had two stents placed into the heart to treat blocked arteries.
Update on Kansas coach Bill Self, who returned home Sunday pic.twitter.com/BKjS51jSZB
— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) March 12, 2023
Self missed the remainder of the Big 12 Tournament as a result of the procedure. The school did not provide a timetable for his return, but he was released from the hospital on Sunday and seemed to indicate that he may be able to return to the sideline in short order.
"I'm so thankful for the amazing staff at the University of Kansas Health System for the excellent care I received," Self said in the statement. "I am proud of our team and coaching staff for how they have handled this and am excited to be back with them as the best time of the season gets underway."
Indeed, Self rejoined the team for practice on March 15 ahead of its first-round NCAA Tournament against Howard. Kansas was hopeful Self will be on the sideline coaching that game, Kansas City television station WDAF reported, but the two-time champion did not on Thursday.
Now, he'll miss yet another game.
BREAKING: Kansas coach Bill Self will not coach today’s game against Arkansas, source told @Stadium.
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) March 18, 2023
Kansas tips off vs. Arkansas at 5:15 p.m. ET.Roberts will remain the acting head coach in the interim.
Did Bill Self have a heart attack?
Dr. Steve Stites, University of Kansas Health System's chief medical officer, said in the statement that Self did not suffer a heart attack, contradicting reports that had circulated on social media.
Kansas initially said it would not be providing further details about Self's medical condition. However, it explained that he had a heart catheterization upon his release from the hospital.
MORE:Full list of automatic bids to the 2023 NCAA Tournament
How long is Bill Self out?
Self did not coach against Howard in the first round, but was hopeful he may be able to return in time for the second round on Saturday.
a quick update from @CoachBillSelf as we head into the First Round vs. Howard 👇 pic.twitter.com/5xikjkTGvF
— Kansas Men’s Basketball (@KUHoops) March 16, 2023
That won't be the case, though.
BREAKING: Kansas coach Bill Self will not coach today’s game against Arkansas, source told @Stadium.
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) March 18, 2023
Kansas is the No. 1 seed in the West Region and will play its first tournament game against the Bison on Thursday. If the Jayhawks advance, they would play again on Saturday.
Even if he isn't able to return for the first weekend of the tournament, Self's optimism is a good sign for his availability if Kansas reaches the Sweet 16.
MORE:Who is Norm Roberts? The fill-in for Bill Self has extensive experience
Norm Roberts will coach the Jayhawks as long as Self is out. The 57-year-old has been an assistant on Self's staff at Kansas since 2012 and has previous head coaching experience at St. John's from 2004-10.
Roberts coached the Jayhawks in the first four games of the 2022-23 season as Self served a self-imposed four-game suspension for improper benefits dating to 2017. The Jayhawks went 4-0 under Roberts to begin the season and improved to now 6-1 under him during the Big 12 Tournament.
