Bill Self addresses what it means to reach national championship with a veteran group

Bill Self has the chance to make history on Monday night, as the No. 1-seeded Kansas Jayhawks are now just one win away from Self’s second NCAA Tournament national championship.

Kansas got to the biggest stage in decisive fashion, defeating Villanova 81-65 in a game that featured at one point a 20-plus Jayhawks lead. Self understands the stakes of Monday night’s game, his potential second national championship and a chance to bring home the fourth trophy in program history.

But even making it this far, Self said, is an accomplishment in its own right.

“I think when you recruit really well, a lot of times the players you recruit at the highest level aren’t going to be there for four years,” Self said. “And the thing about it is you are connected to your one-and-dones or your two-and-dones or whatever it is. You’re connected to them. And you care for them and love them just as much as anybody else.”

Self certainly knows what it takes to seek out some of the lower-ranked recruits, targeting talent that may stay in college for far more than one season. And in seniors David McCormack and Ochai Agbaji, he’s found just that — Agbaji, who’s averaged 18.9 points per contest this season, poured in 21 points against Villanova, while McCormack dropped 25 points of his own. Now, the upperclassmen duo will lead Self and Kansas into the biggest game of the season with a chance to rewrite history.

“There’s something about being able to see a player grow up right in front of your eyes. And sometimes nine or ten months isn’t enough time to grow up. And I think that we actually have this here,” Self said. “We’ve got an old team. But with the COVID year we could have all five starters back. Technically, that will never happen. But it’s been fun to watch. And when we won it in ’08, going way back to what Dana was talking about, that team lost in the first round. That team came up short the next year and finally put it all together.

“I think there’s a natural progression progress with guys that aren’t first-round picks or lottery picks that it takes time. And you get a chance to see the Ochais and the Davids and the Christians develop. And then by the time they get developed, they develop, they’re the equals of the talents that are coming into the game. It’s been fun to coach them and fun to watch.”