Kansas Jayhawks: Four Unbelievable Facts from the Self Era

Oct 22, 2013; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas Jayhawks head coach Bill Self speaks to media during the Big 12 media day at Sprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

There’s a Third Place?

Please excuse Self if he looks confused when speaking at Big 12 Media Day. It could be that he didn’t realize there is a third place in the conference, because he has never finished that low.

During his rookie season with the Jayhawks, Self’s team “suffered” a 12-4 league record and tied for second place. Since then, well, by now you know the rest.

It’s been 11 years of nothing but first place for Kansas, tying Gonzaga for the second-longest streak ever, trailing only UCLA’s 13 in the 60’s and 70’s.

For Self, this isn’t just a Jayhawk thing.

In 18 years of coaching a school affiliated with a conference, he has 15 championships, two runner-up finishes, and gasp, a third-place finish — with Tulsa.

So, he must know it’s possible to be worst than second, he just doesn’t want to experience it again.

And even when there have been years it seemed like he might after losing his starters, he proved the doubters wrong.

Next: No Starters, No Problems