Let’s Look at All of Bill Self’s Choke Jobs
There is no denying Bill Self is a very good basketball coach. He’s taken Tulsa and Illinois to the Elite 8, and won a title at Kansas a few years ago (he’s forever indebted to Mario Chalmers). But he’s also prone to some horrible coaching jobs in March that result in epic choke jobs. Shall we?
2005 NCAA Tournament: Kansas, 13.5 point favorites against Bucknell, lost in the first round, 64-63.
2006 NCAA Tournament: Kansas, 7-point favorites against Bradley, lost in the first round, 77-73.
2010 NCAA Tournament: Kansas, 11-point favorites against Northern Iowa, lost in the second round, 69-67.
2011 NCAA Tournament: Kansas, 11.5-point favorites against VCU, lost in the Elite 8, 71-61.
And sorry to pile on, Kansas fans – yes, we did this exercise last year after the Jayhawks gagged in the second round against the Panthers. It was absolutely necessary to recite Self’s March struggles because … well, this one was probably his worst, considering Kansas had the easiest road to the title and Kansas was the “best” team left in the tournament.
But for overall Kansas chokes, the 1997 loss to Arizona – when the Jayhawks entered the tourney with just one 2-point loss – probably is the program’s worst. That team had four players who spent considerable time in the NBA (LaFrentz, Pierce, Pollard, Vaughn).
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March 27th, 2011 at 6:19 PM
I thought you had a baby to take care of? This list is frustrating.
March 27th, 2011 at 6:38 PM
That Arizona squad was nice.
March 27th, 2011 at 6:49 PM
So here is a question. If this was such a “horrible coaching job”, what coach out there coaches the Jayhawks to a win today? They lost by double digits and the score was pretty indicative of which team played better.
March 27th, 2011 at 6:49 PM
FAROKHMNESH
March 27th, 2011 at 6:56 PM
The usage of choke and clutch in 2011 are still amusing.
March 27th, 2011 at 6:56 PM
Jesus fucking Christ, Jim. A jersey shore reference with 3 minutes left? are you fucking serious?
March 27th, 2011 at 7:03 PM
Jason, Jason, Jason. There is never any nuance in your articles unless it’s around your Jets. The guy has won a national championship and gotten his team to the Elite Eight several times. How long was Dean Smith at UNC and Kryzewski (however it’s spelled) at Duke before they even won? This article is a waste of time. What, you think KU is gonna fire him? As a Texas fan, I would love if they did that. But the guy produces and doesn’t have near the controversy around him as scum like Calipari and Pitino.
March 27th, 2011 at 7:04 PM
Self always looks constipated to me. I guess today he really is
March 27th, 2011 at 7:09 PM
Guy always looks like a cow farted oatmeal in his face or something.
Look at this final four. Wow, so fucking awesome. Proof this is the greatest postseason in sports.
March 27th, 2011 at 7:13 PM
Sort of reminds of 2004 with Duke/UConn on one side and GTech/OK State on the other. Everyone (rightfully) said the Duke/UConn game was the de facto national title game.
I imagine some people will say that this year too, but I see no reason to think VCU or Butler can’t win the title.
March 27th, 2011 at 7:21 PM
If not for Derrick Rose sucking at free throws, there never would have been a “Mario Chalmers” moment.
March 27th, 2011 at 7:50 PM
Every smart KU fan saw this coming. They always lay one stinkbomb per tourney. VCU shot lights out… Then went dead legs… Then went lights out again. KU tried to play that game instead of hammering them down low. This was definitely a choke job, and one that Roy was just as likely to make as Self. Way to capitalize Rams.
March 27th, 2011 at 8:27 PM
Bill Self really didn’t shoot threes well today. Hell he didn’t even make any.
March 27th, 2011 at 8:31 PM
The usage of choke and clutch in 2011 are still amusing.
Yep.
Bill Self really didn’t shoot threes well today. Hell he didn’t even make any.
He was terrible at free throws too. Kansas was 15-28 from the line and lost by 10… how was this loss Self’s fault? I’d argue that all the losses that we’ve seen in this tourney where a the team craps away there last possession and takes a terrible shot (i.e. North Carolina, Florida, etc.) are more the coaches fault than this one.
March 27th, 2011 at 9:17 PM
Yeah they should be ashamed losing to that team with scrubs such as Jason Terry, Mike Bibby, Michael Dickerson, Miles Simon which went on the win the National Championship.
It’s called research how about doing some next time.
March 27th, 2011 at 10:25 PM
How does a coach choke away games?
March 27th, 2011 at 11:00 PM
Thank you for this. Would he still have the Kansas job if it wasn’t for the Memphis choking for him?! Take that title away and what team has choked more in the tournament in the past decade then Kansas? NONE!
March 27th, 2011 at 11:09 PM
Wow, RobJules. That was quite the comment. I don’t really care about KU either way but 4 elite eights in 8 years, plus a title (I know TBL loves to do this, but you can’t really just ‘take it away’). Obviously it could be better, but that’s not bad. I think KU to some extent has had the misfortune of losing to mid-majors as opposed to mediocre Big Six teams which doesn’t help.
March 27th, 2011 at 11:21 PM
know what fabtasy i had as i listened to calipari’s postgame?
reporter: coach could you do with butler what brad stevens is, or what shaka is doing at vcu?
Calipari: i’d like to think so.
reporter: then why do you cheat to get 5-star recruits?
Calipari: i’d like to think so
March 27th, 2011 at 11:21 PM
I’m obviously a little bitter, but they never deliver when they’re expected and it’s usually a result of a poor game, not just being beat by a better team. This year the road was paved for them from after the first round on. Come on, they’ve been a #1 seed 5 times since 2002, no seed lower than a 4 since, few teams have had that setup and not delivered a better resume.
March 27th, 2011 at 11:28 PM
Can we make Gordon Heyward’s shot last year go in and call Duke a bunch of chokers since they haven’t won since 2001 losing as a #1 many times along the way?
March 27th, 2011 at 11:32 PM
Love these posts.
/hater in the house.
March 27th, 2011 at 11:35 PM
butters i only speak for me, but yes
March 27th, 2011 at 11:51 PM
Based on this post/convo: Play my new Sporcle quiz. Active Coaches with at least 1 ring: http://www.sporcle.com/games/ambition/active-ncaa-basketball-champion-coaches
Bill Self is in relatively elite company here.
March 28th, 2011 at 12:47 AM
Based on this post/convo: Play my new Sporcle quiz. Active Coaches with at least 1 ring: http://www.sporcle.com/games/ambition/active-ncaa-basketball-champion-coaches
Bill Self is in relatively elite company here.
Got it in time working backwards, but had to go a ways for the last one.
March 28th, 2011 at 8:31 AM
Say hello to Raef Lafrentz!
March 28th, 2011 at 9:12 AM
Name me one team that has more tournament wins in the last decade than Kansas. Know how many you will find? NONE!
March 28th, 2011 at 11:24 AM
Well outside of the make believe scenario, Duke wasn’t one of the favorites to win it all last year, KU and UK were. Even all that whiney conspiracy faggotry has to admit that even Duke didn’t get the luxury of playing a 9, 12 and 11 seed to get to the final four, which they play Butler without Hayward, and not in their hometown. KU choked, plain and simple.
March 28th, 2011 at 11:51 AM
Bill Self missed way too many free throws yesterday. Fire him.
March 28th, 2011 at 12:42 PM
maybe according to whatever mythical creature you believe in. But they were ranked #1 KenPom before the tournament. I am fairly certain that makes them a favorite
March 28th, 2011 at 5:32 PM
A “choke” is often a misdiagnosis in the sports world. An actual “choke” can range from one play by one player to a series of games by a whole team. The 1997 KU loss to AZ was not a teamwide, game-long choke. Yesterday’s KU loss, however, was just that. I mentioned to a friend of mine that I don’t think I have ever seen a whole team, in any sport, at any level, as tight throughout the course of any game as KU was yesterday. It showed in every aspect. Obviously the coach bears some responsibility, and if it is a trend, it is obviously something he does that brings it on. As evidence, did anyone read Self’s lips 6-7 mins. into the game when, after a bad call vs. KU, he said “how many calls can you blow in one game”? He said this not in the 35th minute, but 6 minutes into the game! Wow. That statement spoke of fear, paranoia, and desperation. In any event, I would argue comfortably that KU’s performance yesterday was a teamwide choke of the greatest magnitude.