Kansas announces Bill Self will not coach in remainder of Big 12 Tournament after hospitalization

College basketball fans were stunned on Thursday morning with the news that Kansas coach Bill Self was hospitalized and would miss his team’s Big 12 quarterfinal game against West Virginia with an illness. Kansas released a new update on Self Thursday afternoon, confirming he will not coach during the Big 12 Tournament.

The statement also said Self underwent a procedure, but did not include specifics. It also clarified Self did not suffer a heart attack, as some rumors and reports suggested.

“KU Men’s Basketball Coach Bill Self is a patient at The University of Kansas Health System,” the statement read. “Chief Medical Officer Dr. Steven Stites wants to clarify that Coach Self did not suffer a heart attack as reported by some media. He arrived at the emergency department last night and underwent a standard procedure that went well. He is expected to make a full recovery. There will be no further medical details released for now.”

Self also released a brief statement regarding the support he has received.

“I am very grateful for the overwhelming number of well wishes my family and I have received,” Self said. “I’m excited to get back with my team in the very near future.”

More on Bill Self’s hospitalization

The news of Self’s hospitalization surfaced early on Thursday morning when the school put out a press release to announce the news. In the release, the school stated that Self was, “doing well,” and that assistant coach Norm Roberts would coach in Self’s place.

“Kansas Men’s Basketball Coach Bill Self will miss today’s Big 12 Tournament game as he recovers from an illness,” the release from the school read. “Assistant Coach Norm Roberts will serve as the acting head coach. Self is doing well and receiving great care at the University of Kansas Health System.”

While the main focus is on Self’s health, there is no doubt that the news casts a bit of a dark cloud over the upcoming postseason run for the Jayhawks, as they look to defend their national title from a year ago. Kansas ended the season by winning seven of its final eight to win the Big 12 title outright.

Self and the Jayhawks earned the No. 1 seed in the Big 12 Tournament in Kansas City, Mo., and are lined up to possibly earn a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Self is aware of how important another run in March is for his team.

“We’ve talked a lot about it,” Self said Wednesday on the start of the Jayhawks’ postseason run, according to KUSports.com. “We’ve talked about we’re going to Kansas City to try to put ourselves in position to win this thing, but knowing we better take one game at a time. But I haven’t put emphasis of to win it. I’ve put the emphasis on let’s go play our best. What the (Big 12) tournament does, it can validate what your regular season’s been. And this is an opportunity to validate it.”