Last night, KU athletics announced that head coach Bill Self would be missing Tuesday night’s clash against the Colorado Buffaloes.
In his stead will be Kansas legend Jacque Vaughn. Vaughn joined the staff last offseason, becoming the first-ever former NBA head coach to sit on the Kansas bench as an assistant. Vaughn was a former head coach of the Brooklyn Nets and the Orlando Magic. Vaughn finished his stint in the league with a 129-226 record. Vaughn also spent nine seasons as an assistant for the San Antonio Spurs and the Nets.
As a player for Kansas, Vaughn ranks third in assists (804), ninth in games started (125), 19th in steals (160), 23rd in three-point field goal percentage (38.3%), and 40th in points scored (1,207). Vaughn had his jersey retired in 2002.
Following his historic time in Lawrence, Vaughn spent 12 seasons playing in the league after being drafted with the 27th overall pick in the 1997 NBA Draft.
On Tuesday, Vaughn will be tasked with taking down the Colorado Buffaloes. The Buffs hold a 12-6 record, including a 2-3 mark in conference play. After jumping off to a 10-1 start, head coach Tad Boyle’s team has gone 2-5, which includes three straight losses to No. 14 Texas Tech, Cincinnati, and West Virginia. The same Mountaineer team that knocked off Kansas 10 days ago.
ESPN’s FPI gives the Jayhawks a 79.9% chance of winning against Boyle; however, Kansas has suffered at times this season, as they hold a 0-2 record in Big 12 play on the road this season.
Tuesday will mark a late tipoff as it is scheduled for 10 p.m. CT with streaming available on ESPN.
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