Bill Self tried to focus on the Kansas men’s basketball game against Kansas State and nothing else on Saturday afternoon, just two days after the death of his dad, Bill Self Sr.
“Everybody’s been so nice and great and he would be the first to say, ‘Hey don’t talk about this or give this a thought now. We’ve got a big game today,’’’ Self said in pregame interviews about his dad, a former coach and high school administrator in Oklahoma whose death at age 82 was reported Friday.
“We’ll focus on the game and address that when it’s appropriate. We’ve got a big game. That’d be the best way for me to do him honor, do my job right now.”
Self Sr., who expressed pride in his son after both wins and losses, would have especially enjoyed Saturday’s proceedings.
Ochai Agbaji scored 29 points and hit a game winning floater with 9 seconds left and Jalen Wilson scored 16 points as the No. 7-ranked Jayhawks overcame a 22-point onslaught by Nigel Pack the first half and overcame a 16-point halftime deficit in a 78-75 win over the Wildcats at Bramlage Coliseum.
David McCormack grabbed 15 rebounds and scored 11 points for the Jayhawks (16-2, 5-1 Big 12), who improved to 29-5 all-time in Bramlage.
It proved to be an historic win for KU. The Jayhawks, who trailed 50-34 at the break, overcame their biggest halftime deficit in a victory in school history.
UCLA led KU by 15 in the 1995-96 season and Florida led KU by 15 at half in the 2014-15 season, KU winning both games.
The Jayhawks also overcame their largest overall deficit to win in a road game. KU trailed the Wildcats by 17 points with 19:01 left. KU in 2018 overcame an overall deficit of 16 points to win at West Virginia.
KU survived an amazing 35 point performance from Pack, who hit 12 of 18 shots and was 8 of 12 from three. Marquis Nowell had 16 points for the Wildcats (10-8, 2-5).
Pack hit six three pointers and scored 22 points the first half as the Wildcats blazed to that 50-34 halftime advantage. Nowell had 11 the first half for K-State, which hit 19 of 32 shots for 59.4%.
KU hit 12 of 30 shots for 40%. The Jayhawks were 4 of 12 from three the first half; K-State 7 of 14.
The Wildcats led, 55-38, with 18:31 left. A 9-0 KU run forced Bruce Weber to call time at 15:10 as KU sliced the gap to 55-47.
KU had the margin down to 65-63 on two Wilson free throws at 6:51. But Pack immediately responded with a three.
After a bucket by Christian Braun, Pack scored again to make it 70-65. After two free throws by Agbaji, Nowell iced a deep three for Kansas State.
It was 75-72 K-State when Agbaji went to the line for two free throws with 55.4 seconds left.
He made both. KU had hoped Agbaji would be awarded three free throws on the deep shot, deemed a non-shooting foul.
Agbaji hit a short baseline shot to give KU a 76-75 lead with 9 seconds left. Pack missed a deep shot on the Cats final possession. K-State fouled Agbaji, who hit two free throws with 0.6 left to account for the three-point win.
Overall the Jayhawks won their sixth consecutive game versus K-State and 14th in 15 outings versus the Wildcats.