Our interview with Bill Self: Darryn Peterson, his future in coaching and Kansas' turn to the postseason: 'This is where you earn your money'

Summary

Eye On College Basketball: Interview with Bill Self – March 9, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode features a dynamic, candid interview with Hall of Fame Kansas coach Bill Self, as hosts Matt Norlander and Gary Parrish dive into Self’s participation in the new docu-series Made for March. The conversation covers why Self finally agreed to an all-access documentary after years of “no,” Kansas’s tumultuous season (including the challenges around star player Darryn Peterson), team chemistry, Self’s health and coaching future, and what makes the postseason the best—and most brutal—time in college basketball. For fans (and those who haven’t listened), this thoughtful exploration provides unique insight into Self’s mindset, coaching philosophy, and the current narrative around Jayhawk basketball.

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Main Discussion Points & Insights

1. Why Bill Self Agreed to the Documentary

• Background: Kansas has been approached "for over two decades" about doing an all-access documentary, and Self has always refused.
  • Quote: "I've had people approach us forever, and I'm like going, I don't want...to give you access. That's not how we do things. We keep everything in-house." – Bill Self (03:43)
• Change of Heart: With the program in a good place and after some personal reflection in his "latter years," Self decided it was time to be open, give fans a window into Kansas basketball, and let the media help showcase the positive.
  • Quote: "It's a lot easier if you can get the media to do all your work for you as opposed to you individually having to do it...I like our players, and I thought this would be the perfect time for me. I don't know how many more opportunities I'll have to do something like this." – Bill Self (04:26)
• Access: The documentary team had more access than ever before, including locker room moments, candid family interactions, and capturing behind-the-scenes struggles.

2. Coach Self’s Health & Future at Kansas

• Retirement Rumors: Directly addressed—Self is not stepping down anytime soon, barring health issues.
  • Quote: "As long as I feel good, I don't know why I wouldn't keep doing it...Right now, I feel well. So I don't see any reason to stop." – Bill Self (05:44)
• Personal Health: Self discusses his recent health events, hospitalization, and how feeling better has reinvigorated his passion for coaching.
  • Quote: "A lot of times we don't know that we feel poorly until we start actually feeling good." – Bill Self (07:01)

3. Inside the Documentary Process

• Approach: The production followed Kansas throughout the season, with particular emphasis on both the highs and the low, offering both access and authenticity.
• Self gave producers unusual behind-the-scenes looks ("the players don't even know they're there"), but protected some inner sanctums.
  • Quote: "I've given them some things I'd never do with anybody. I'd never let you in my locker room before a game, but I let them in the back where nobody, the players don't even know they're there." – Bill Self (08:22)
• Impact: Having the cameras around brought Self’s family more directly into his basketball life, and the process ended up much more enjoyable than expected.

4. The Darryn Peterson Saga

• Context: Freshman phenom Darryn Peterson's season was plagued by uncertainty—injury, playing time, and whether he’d continue playing became major storylines.
  • Quote on the attention: "Darryn's story was much bigger than anybody wanted it to be here because it wasn't for the most positive reasons...but he's in the best place personally that he's been since the season started." – Bill Self (14:05)
• Peterson’s Silence: Self explains why Peterson wasn’t more vocal to the public; it was hard for Peterson and his family to comment when so much was up in the air.
  • Quote: "It was hard for him to answer questions when he didn’t even know the answers." – Bill Self (16:09)
  • "When you don't speak, it allows people's mind to wonder and assume." – Bill Self (17:16)
• Handling Speculation: Matt Norlander presses Self on the PR approach; Self admits more transparency could have helped, but it was not a black and white situation internally.

5. Kansas’s Season & Team Chemistry

• Inconsistency: Kansas’s up-and-down year has included big wins (Houston, K State) and puzzling losses (Arizona State).
  • "We have been so good...at certain times, and then there's been multiple times that we haven’t been as good." – Bill Self (19:15)
• Postseason Approach: Self’s philosophy is to get his team peaking starting mid-February, but this season they’re “just starting to do it now.”
• Defense as Key: Self pushes for making other teams uncomfortable: "Our whole key moving forward: can we make other people play bad?" (21:30)
• Offensive Questions: For the third straight year, Kansas is outside the top 50 in adjusted offensive efficiency; Self attributes much of this to Peterson’s missed time and still believes they have potential if they get all pieces functioning late.
  • Quote: "I think we have to run things with [Peterson]... he could dominate a game defensively. He could dominate a game in many ways." (22:53)
  • "When we play well, we play with anybody. But the biggest key in us playing well is other people didn't. And that's because, from a defensive standpoint, we did a good job." (26:40)
• Roster Standouts: Discussion of Melvin Council, Badunga, Trey White, and Tiller, with highlights of their individual strengths and the challenges of finding lineups that fit.

6. The Thrill and Cruelty of March

• What Bill Self Loves About Postseason
  • "This is where you earn your money. As much as anything. And I'm talking about players, I'm talking about coaches, I'm talking about everybody in the business." – Bill Self (28:16)
  • He outlines the difference between the three "seasons" of a year (regular, conference tourney, NCAA tourney) and says this third season is make-or-break—with no safety net, where legends and heartbreaks are made.
  • Quote: "It's to the point where those other seasons are important, but this is where you actually separate your team and the job and what you do because...there's absolutely no excuses. And the fact that there's no safety net, I think is what makes it the most fun but also the most cruel at the same time." (28:16)
  • "The tournament is cruel in this way...you prepare to say, we're going to win this tournament this weekend. And then there's three teams that don't. And...that part is tough but that's reality of life, too, but it also makes it the most rewarding." (29:53)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On transparency and age:
  “If you live in the glass house and you take care of your business, it can also be a very positive thing as well...I don’t know how many more opportunities I’ll have to do something like this.” – Bill Self (04:26)

• On the reality of March:
  "This is where you earn your money. As much as anything." – Bill Self (28:16)
  "The tournament is cruel in this way. ...The next day you're cleaning out your locker and having exit meetings. ...But it also makes it the most rewarding." – Bill Self (29:53)

• On dealing with media and rumors:
  "When you don't speak, it allows people's mind to wonder and assume." – Bill Self (17:16)

• On team potential:
  "But when we play well, I think it's been proven that when we play well, we play with anybody." – Bill Self (26:40)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• [02:34] – Introduction of Bill Self, background on Made for March documentary
• [03:43] – Why Self agreed to documentary and his media approach
• [05:44] – Bill Self directly addresses his coaching future, health, and longevity
• [07:46] – On how the documentary crew worked within the program
• [13:10] – Discussion shifts to Darryn Peterson saga and managing publicity
• [16:09] – Self explains why Peterson didn’t speak out amid uncertainty
• [18:16] – Kansas’s recent ups and downs, state of the team heading into March
• [22:53] – On offensive strategy and how to use Darryn Peterson
• [25:00] – Depth of roster; importance of consistent shooting
• [27:57] – Bill Self’s perspective on March, excitement, pressure, and what’s at stake
• [29:53] – On the emotional highs and lows of the NCAA Tournament

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Summary

This episode offers a revealing look at Bill Self’s current mindset as Kansas enters the most important stretch of the college basketball calendar—both on the court and through the lens of a major documentary. With remarkable runner-up candor, Self discusses adjusting to more media attention, the realities behind Darryn Peterson’s saga, the ongoing quest for team consistency, and how March both rewards and torments the players and coaches who chase its glory.

For Jayhawk fans and college hoops diehards alike, Self reaffirms his commitment to the Kansas program, opens up about his health, and delivers powerful insights on leadership, transparency, and the “cruel reality” of March Madness—reminding listeners why, in his words, “This is where you earn your money.”

Transcript

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[Matt]

Hall of Fame coach Kansas's Bill Self joins us on the Ion College Basketball Podcast and it's with good reason. It's with special reason because Kansas is part of a very special four part docu series Called Made for March. It's gonna air on CBS and Paramount. Plus the first episode will go up Saturday, April 4th on CBS. It's been chronicling Kansas the entire season, and we're about to see what's gonna happen over the next few weeks here for the Jayhawks in the Big 12 tournament and the NCAA tournament. And it's a joy to be joined by Bill Self. Bill, how you doing, bud?

[Bill Self]

I'm good, Matt. I'm, I'm good. I, I hope this documentary is worth watching, you know, by us finishing strong.

[Matt]

Yeah, I mean, we'll see on that and I will get to that. But can we go back to the very start, how you got approached for this and what made you say, yes, you're obviously, you're good with a quote. You're, you're a get it guy with, as a coach when it comes to the media. But, but you even said, I'm going to quote you directly here in the press release. For over two decades, the Kansas men's basketball program has been approached for a variety of all access documentaries, and I have always turned them down. So why was this time different?

[Bill Self]

I think from my perspective, I, I'm, I'm not saying anything, so don't read into this from, from a longevity standpoint. But you know how you do something and you want to at least experience everything once. I haven't put myself in a position to, to experience this because it seems like to me there's always been something that's going on potentially within the program that maybe we may not want out there quite as much. The IE investigation that occurred for a period of time, I've had, I've had people approach us forever, and I'm like going, I don't want, I don't want to give you access. That's not how we do things. We keep everything in house. And you know what? I actually kind of changed a little bit in my latter years in how I think that, you know, it's a lot easier if you can get the media to do all your work for you as opposed to you individually having to do it. I've always understood that, but maybe even more so now. And, and, and if you live in the glass house, you know, you get rocks, you know, you know, you lick stone's throw at you. But also if you live in a glass house and you take care of your business, it can also be a very positive thing as well. And I like where we're at. I like our players. And I thought this would be the perfect time for Me, because I don't know how many more opportunities I'll have to do something like this. And I love the crew and the company, and it's been, it's been good so far.

[Matt]

I'm gonna, I've got a follow up there, but you just actually quickly, you allowed me the end, so I got to do this as my job as the host, host and reporter here. You're still, you still got more in the tank though, right? Bill, we're not, we're not going to be having a headline here in three, four, five, six weeks, not in three, four, five months that you're stepping away. You got, you got more years ahead of you as a coach of the Kansas Jayhawks.

[Bill Self]

Oh, I think so. Yeah. I think so. As long as I feel good, you know, I don't, I don't know why I wouldn't keep doing it. You know, I've had my, my, my personal health issues in some way that I've dealt with. And, and has it been, uh, a handicap in me doing my job? I don't think so, but it has, has it been a pain in the butt to get through some of the things? Yeah, yeah, it has been. But, but not to the point where it's, it's more than what everybody deals with something and I just happen to be dealing with, with some things right now. But I, I, I, I, I still love it. I, I still love the kids and I want to, I want to keep doing it, but I'm only going to keep doing it as long as I feel well. I mean, I mean, I'll be honest with you. And right now I feel well. So I don't see any reason to, to, to stop when things are at least going well from a health standpoint

[Matt]

and you are feeling well. When I saw you back at Big 12 media day, you told me, I really do feel better now than I have in a very, very long time. Now, since then, you did have the one unexpected incident where you actually had to go to the hospital, weren't able to coach the game at Colorado, but you've coached since then. You're feeling good. Like you're feeling about, you know, as well as you felt for the majority of the past four or five.

[Bill Self]

I think I'm feeling the way that you're supposed to feel. You know, a lot of times I think we don't know that we feel poorly until we start actually feeling good. And, you know, you just kind of have that dullness that kind of just goes on. Well, this is just how it is well, I learned that that's not how it is. That was something that would, kept me from maybe having the same feeling or energy maybe that I had had in the past. And you know, I've had some work done but the work's been very, very favorable and positive for me and it's, and it's fixed what was probably limiting me a little bit when I didn't feel well.

[Matt]

As for the documentary and allowing the crew in, I know they haven't been with you for every game, but they've been with you sporadically throughout the season when you signed on to the project. You know we've got some other, you know, Michigan's also going to be a subject of a documentary. CBS Kentucky has done a season long All Access. So we've got a couple teams that have done this was it, you know, regardless of the time and whatever's happening in, throughout the season they got kind of unfettered like full on access. There's, are there going to be elements to your season where when this documentary comes out that will flash back to a certain point in the non conference season or the middle of January, the middle of February.

[Bill Self]

It's going to be basically from start of the year through now. They'll do it in four different parts as you know. And of course the, the, the, the only. The probably the first two episodes have been written so far so to speak and I haven't seen them but I mean basically the, the, the, the haze in the barn on that stuff. But still you got the postseason and, and that'll probably be two full episodes there. But the, the, the guys in the company, they're pros and, and have I given them access? I've given them things that I would never do with anybody. I'd never let you in my locker room before a game, but I don't let them, I let them in the back where nobody, the players don't even know they're there because they face a different direction. So they've gotten access to, to some things that I think are, are, are interesting and positive that even the players don't even know that they were giving them access to. But, but the, the players have enjoyed it. I mean they, they've enjoyed it and they've enjoyed getting to meet the crew and I've enjoyed it too. And in many ways it's, it's been good because it's, it's even brought my family into it more and I never really included my family as part of what the day to day operations are. But you know, they, they, they, they've been more involved in doing some stuff like that. So it's, it's, it's been great.

[Matt]

You feel pretty comfortable with it from the start. Like, you signed on, you knew what it would be like after the first or second day of having the cameras around. Like,

[Bill Self]

do we all the time say, okay, can the, can the media film the first 10 minutes of practice?

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[Bill Self]

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[Matt]

No.

[Bill Self]

I let these guys and the players like them and they know them and so they, they can kind of be themselves. But I, I actually think it's, it's, it's been good. I, I, we did it. I don't know that I was really looking forward to it, but it's been far more enjoyable and not a pain whatsoever to do it.

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[Matt]

I tell you what though, there's a very intriguing element to this entire project and that is the fact that you agreed to do this. You had a team with some real promise and still has some real promise. It has not been a perfect season but you agreed to do this. And then Darren Peterson became one of the three to five biggest stories of the entire season in terms of his will he won't he speculation for the wrong reasons for all of that. So and I want to get a little bit more in deep here in just a second here. I am interested to know in advance of this coming out next month how did you as a coach and as a coaching staff and as an institution and Darren and his father and his agents, how did you handle that? Like was was a lot of that stuff. Are we going to see stuff from Darren in real time but in retrospect at the same time that isn't privy to because as you well know as this was all going on like it got really really noisy. I'm curious how that was handled from the documentary side of it as it

[Bill Self]

was happening it was handled real. It was handled real. Hey, they, they've got him doing different things on his own when nobody else is around. They got him talking about, man, I just want to feel good. I just want to, you know, be this or be that. They've got me talking about it. But I, I think it's, I think it's a, it's. It's probably, you know, uh, when you say total access, does anybody really get total access? I think in this situation, I think they had pretty much total access. There. There wasn't. There wasn't people scripting on this is what you need to say during this situation or that situation, hey, just be who you are. I mean, it's fine. And you know, Darren. Darren's story, obviously was much bigger than anybody wanted to be here because it wasn't for the, for the most positive reasons. But on the flip side of that, the struggles going through it with him, our team kind of growing through it, our team struggling with it, and then the, the, the. The finish isn't. Hasn't been written yet, so we'll see how it all works out. But I will tell you, he's in the best place personally that he's been since the season started, so I'm excited about that.

[Matt]

I'd like to hear that one more from me on, on Peterson. He's a wonderful talent. I could argue that he has not had a chance to speak up for himself and tell his own story enough so far this season. We'll obviously get more of that in the documentary. But why did he either not seek to try and be a little bit more outgoing and forward in public with the media amidst all this, whether it's his choice, yours representation, because that was also alongside of the will he won't he. There was the. And I even said this myself on this very podcast. I wish we could hear from Peterson more directly and more frequently. He's only had a, you know, a handful of times where he's actually spoken to the media. So what, what was the thought that went into kind of handling at that from the PR end?

[Bill Self]

Well, first of all, it wasn't handled from the coach's perspective. That was more, you know, I didn't force anybody to talk, but it was, it was certainly more from a team perspective because it was hard for him to answer questions when he didn't even know the answers. I mean, you stop and think about it, well, when will you play again? I don't know. Well, is there a minute restriction on you? I. I don't know. I, I, I think, I think there were some things about it. But to your point, I agree with you. I think the best thing that you can do in certain situations like that is to, hey, this is, this is how it is. This is where I'm at. And, and as opposed to allow people to wonder where you are and where it's at and allow people to create their own narrative where you are and where it's going, as opposed to, you know, you being the one to address it. It seems like to me, whenever you address it personally with, with, with the sincerity and honesty, it eliminates a lot of the naysayers on what exactly is going on. The person that said, well, I've had cramps and I know when I had cramps, you know, I rubbed a, a pin on it. And after I rubbed a pin on it, I went right back in. You know, that's not the way it is. There's so many other things going on with it. But, but when you don't speak, it allows people's mind to wonder and assume. And I think that the thinking was with him, not to put him out there where he's saying stuff that he didn't really know. And so it was, it was a, I don't disagree with you at all. But I also don't think it was quite as easy for he and his family to handle it in the way that we all say, oh, that's easy, just handle it this way. Because this one was not a black and white situation.

[Matt]

I appreciate your candor on that, Bill. Obviously Darren's turn it around. As of late, averaging better than 31 minutes a game over the past five games, been able to tap into something. Now you've, you've had the win over Houston, which was big. You wrapped up the regular season, went over the rival K State, but you had some bumpy ones. I mean, listen, Arizona is a really good team. You take that one on the road and then the Arizona State one I know didn't go the way that you wanted it to go. So as we talk here, heading into the Big 12 tournament, I will see you in Kansas City in just a couple of days, by the way, state of your team and what shifts, if any, like kind of take us into your mindset as a coach but also with your staff when the regular season is over. And you and I both know, Bill, that players, sometimes some teams, they can get a little bit cabin fever final few games of the regular season, they just want to get to games where it means something. So what shifts happen in this transition from the beginning of March to now, you know, bracket ball for the rest of the way. And how would you evaluate the state of, you know, Jayhawk ball here heading into the second half of March?

[Bill Self]

I actually feel like the, the first half of February going back is when I've always tried to say that, hey, we need to start putting it together and we need to be starting to play our best ball, you know, by mid February. So there is a two to three weeks where you're actually doing that before the postseason starts. Well, just so happens we just waited. Let's just start doing it now. I mean, that's kind of the approach that we did. We, we have been so good, Matt, certain times, and then there's been multiple times that we haven't been as good or, you know, at least playing at a very high level that we're capable of playing. And that's why we have inconsistencies. You know, you, I mean, you look at you, you beat, you beat Arizona and you beat Houston and you beat Iowa State and, and they're all in the top five. And you know, UConn's been up there all year and that was basically a one possession game. And, and, and there's been some things that have happened that we've looked really good at times, but we've also fallen. I, I, I believe that the one thing that, that isn't as good as what I think it could be is the common theme when we've been good is the other team didn't play well. And you could say, well, they didn't, they had a bad game, or maybe we did some things defensively and energy wise and stuff like that, not to allow them to do that, which I, I totally buy into that 100%. In the games where we haven't played as well, we let people be comfortable. And so to me, our whole key moving forward, can we make other people play bad? You know, with, with, with our, with our starters now and with DP out there, can we run good enough offense that if we made other people's play bad, we could be in every game? You know what I think we can now. Do we run good offense now like we could if we'd had our players together all year long? You know, it's hard coaching a team where 1, 1/2 you have your team and another half you don't. It's not like you just don't have your guy, he's out with an acl. So you know what you have, you know, you practice a certain way and then you don't have when the way you practice at times. But at the end of the day, hopefully it forced other guys to be more aggressive. Hopefully it forced them to grow up. And then if we can just somehow put the pieces together, which I think we're capable of, where everybody's on the same page from aggressiveness standpoint and knowing how we score now, we could become, I think, pretty dangerous if we can just make other people play bad and we've shown that's who we are. We just haven't done it consistently.

[Matt]

Following up on that, the most surprising thing to me about your team this season, Bill, is because of Darren's talent. And you're talking to a guy who picked him preseason as the national player of the year. And I think you could make the case he would have been that had he been available to play throughout and been right there with Boozer. But that hasn't been the case. Whatever it's in the past. I'm surprised that you're still, for the third consecutive season, you're outside the top 50 and adjusted offensive efficiency at Ken Palm. I think your offense can get better. But I'm wondering from your perspective, has the team truly learned how to play all together with Darren? And do you have to run your offense to him or through him to give you the best chance of success at the teams that are sitting there nationally? 1, 2, 3 seed level?

[Bill Self]

I think we have to run things with him.

[Matt]

Okay.

[Bill Self]

I don't think it has to be, you know, Darren should. He could average six assists a game. You know, he's not just a score, he's a player. He. And, and, and so many times we look at him as, at least, you know, we do or ways evaluated. Many times is, you know, how many to get or what shooting percentage he was. I mean, I, I've always thought if you have to make shots to play well, you're probably not a total guy. He's a total guy. He could dominate a game defensively. He could dominate a game in many ways. Offensively, we got to get him where his body feels that it. He can do that for 32 minutes a game. Do I know who we are offensively? No. No, probably not. We scored 104 the other day. We scored easy. And that's not taking anything away from K State because they scored easy too. So, so. But the, the thing about it is in a, in, in, in a game in which plays don't work, players do, he's a guy that can go out and score nine points on three possessions. That when you really don't have much going on, and when you get into deep march, that happens more than you want. If you're on the offensive end, you got to have guys go make plays, and he's one of those guys.

[Matt]

On that note, though, I mean, you've got Peterson, who can do that, Melvin Council, who feels like he's one of the most emotionally and spiritually charged and reliable players that you've ever coached. You've got Badunga among the very best, and I know you think he is the best defender in the sport. Trey White's shooting at 44 from beyond the arc, and I know Tiller's emerging here. I almost wonder, as a coach, in all the great teams you've had, Bill, like, do you feel like this group, even though you don't know yet what it can be offensively, do you feel like because of the talent you have here, like, you can be dangerous on a given night? Because really, you've got guys who have shown individually?

[Bill Self]

Of course we can be dangerous on a given night. But, but you know what? You can't get outscored 25, 24 points beyond the arc and make enough twos to come back. I mean, let's just call it like it is. We, we, we, we are. We. We need consistent perimeter shooting. And you, you bring up Mel, who's been fantastic and, and, and Trey, who's been great and this and that. But, but the whole thing is we've also been very inconsistent, too. We got to get some consistency in a good way. And I actually think, you know, is Floria score with his back to the basket with Krivox gardening, or is he a guy that moves around and try to get behind the defense and play above the rim and things like, I mean, there's some things that against some teams, it's a little bit easier to do than it is against other teams. So, so we have to be patient enough to allow defenses to, you know, break down and do some things. But, but I, I, I, I, I, I, I think that there's a, you know, you bring up a good point. Uh, that, that, that is, you know, outside the top 50. Last year and now this year. I don't think it's any surprise we're outside the top 50. I don't know what we are, 53 or 54. I don't think us any surprise, because what would we be if we had a healthy Peterson all year long? I mean, I mean, trust me, we'd be well within in that. But even, even in the last couple years, you know, you're, you're, you're playing teams that, you know, you can put three players on Hunter because other guys maybe don't stretch it as well. The pieces just didn't quite fit the way that, that potentially this team's pieces could fit. If in fact we can all get it right here late. This team has far more potential than what the last two teams have. But is it, does it have more potential than our 22 and 23 team? I don't, you know, God, they were pretty damn good. I mean, both one seeds and one of them won it. So, so. But when we play well, I think it's been proven that when we play well, we play with anybody. But the biggest key in us playing well is other people didn't. Didn't. And that's because, you know, from a defensive standpoint, we did a good job.

[Matt]

I'll get you out of here on this. So many people that will listen to this and watch this and just follow the sport, their fans or their writers or whomever. You're a coach. We've never talked about this before. This month in particular. As you gear up, you know, you're in your office right now, you're getting ready to go to Kansas City. I can't wait to be, be there. That's probably. I'm so excited to experience that tournament for the first time. And then the NCAA tournament comes. What is a maybe non obvious thing that for you personally, what do you cherish about this month as a coach, as a human, as Bill self, What is it about this particular time of year that as you've grown older and gotten more experience.

[Bill Self]

Did you say as I've grown old or older? I think you said older.

[Matt]

There was an er at the end

[Bill Self]

of that said older.

[Matt]

What is it about this particular month to you that you, that you have a, A growing appreciation for as your young career continues to flourish?

[Bill Self]

Mike, you're so full of it. I'd say this is where you earn your money. Yeah. As much as anything. And I'm talking about players, I'm talking about coaches, I'm talking about everybody in the business. You know, we can all say certain things and we all want to win every game. And there is a first season that pales in comparison to the second season, and there's a second season that pales in comparison to the third season. And we're entering the third season at least the way that I look at it. And this is, you know, it's Magnified, you know, what, what is it? Tenfold or whatever? It's, it's to the point where those other seasons are important and, and granted, I mean that, that nobody's going to say they're not, but this is where you have actually separate your team and the job and what you do because, you know, you're getting everyone's best and it's on a neutral floor, it's on a neutral site. And, and there's absolutely no excuses. And the fact that there's no safety net, I think is what makes it the most fun but also the, the most cruel at the same time.

[Matt]

Yes, this game is incredible. It will lift us up, but it can also hurt so bad.

[Bill Self]

Oh, my gosh. Yeah. Yeah. Hey, the tournament is cruel in this way. You don't go into a game thinking, well, it's a 50% chance it may not work out. And then the next day you're cleaning out your locker and having exit meetings. You don't, you don't look at it that way, but that's the cruel reality of it. You don't, you don't prepare to say, I'm going to play one game. You prepare to say, we're going to win this tournament this weekend. And then there's three teams that don't. And, and it, that, that part is, is tough, but that's reality of life too, and, but it also makes it the most rewarding.

[Matt]

That's terrific stuff. I really, really appreciate you, Bill, for coming on and, and talking shop a little bit here. Made for March is the docu series again. We'll first episode will air Saturday, April 4th on CBS and stream on Paramount plus four episodes apiece. And this story is not done. We've got another few weeks, ideally for Bill and his Jayhawks to see.

[Bill Self]

You can see an old coach, you know, you can see an old coach on it, you know, older, older, older,

[Matt]

older at best here. Bill, I appreciate you and I will see you in just a couple of days in Kansas City.

[Bill Self]

See Matt Foreign.

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