What did Bill Self say to get tossed from KU’s recent 29-point loss at Texas Tech?
Bill Self has revealed the “magic word” he uttered more than once to earn a pair of technical fouls and the only ejection of his 21-year Kansas men’s basketball coaching career.
“It was a four-letter word, but it wasn’t what you think. It was ‘joke.’ I got ejected for ‘joke,’’’ KU coach Self said on Tuesday, speaking as an afternoon guest on the “Jim Rome (radio) Show.”
Self was tossed by the refs after picking up two technical fouls with 5 minutes, 49 seconds remaining in KU’s 79-50 loss to Texas Tech on Feb. 12 at United Supermarkets Arena in Lubbock, Texas.
Self erupted after an offensive foul was called against KU center Hunter Dickinson under the basket.
“In all honesty I probably had it coming because that was certainly a game of frustration for all of us and certainly for me,” Self said Tuesday.
KU was trailing 59-43 at the time he was sent to the locker room.
“That wasn’t looking to fire anybody up, because at that point in time with five or six minutes left, the outcome had pretty well already been determined. That was more a situation it was probably frustration from the first 35 minutes that got me run that time,” Self said.
After the game, Self explained he “wasn’t trying to get thrown out. The way things went in the game ... I honestly feel the games are not being called the way they need to be called regardless of it’s our favor or their favor. I don’t think the game is being officiated the way it’s intended to be officiated. That was frustration, but I felt that all year. (They are) good officials. It’s just I don’t see it the same way that it’s being called at all.”
He noted that there has been a lot of physicality, “more this year than there has been in years past.”
He’s not the only Big 12 coach to have been tossed from a game this season.
Houston coach Kelvin Sampson was slapped with two technical fouls and ejected with 15:08 remaining in a home win against Oklahoma State on Feb. 6. It was his first ejection in 10 seasons at Houston.
Scott Drew was ejected for the first time in 21 years at Baylor after picking up two technical fouls in a home win victory over Iowa State.
Both of Drew’s technicals were for straying outside the coaching box — one time in the first half, the other with 11:30 left. Baylor AD Mack Rhoades according to the AP was fined “$25,000 and issued a public reprimand because of his criticism of officials after Drew’s ejection. Rhoades called the officiating in that game ‘an embarrassment’ for the league.”
Jim Rome asked Self about officiating this season in the Big 12.
“Our league … every game is a rock fight,” Self said. “It’s hard to referee games when teams don’t shoot it well because the defense is so aggressive and so good. You can’t call a foul every possession or every other possession, so it’s hard to referee those games.
“I think our league is probably as physical — the most physical — league in the country. I do think it’s being called a little bit differently (this year). I also think it’s a hard league to referee just because of reasons I gave. I think the (NCAA) Tournament is different. I do. To me the game is called a little bit differently in the tournament,” Self added.
Of the current Big 12 race, Self told Rome: “Maybe Houston can run the table and go 15-3. Don’t be surprised if 13-5 wins it. This league, there’s no bottom. It’s top and middle, no bottom. That’s what makes the league so good.”
Of NCAA bids, Self said: “I haven’t studied it, but I think there is a very realistic chance we get nine (of 14) teams in the tournament. We could get more depending on how things play out, but I think nine is very realistic.”
Here were the Big 12 standings as of Tuesday night with each team’s in-conference record:
Houston, 10-3
Iowa State, 9-4
Baylor, 8-4
Kansas, 8-5
TCU, 7-5
Texas Tech, 7-5
BYU, 6-6
Texas, 6-7
Oklahoma, 6-7
Cincinnati, 5-7
Kansas State, 5-8
UCF, 4-8
Oklahoma State, 3-9
West Virginia, 3-9
