Kansas Jayhawks head coach Bill Self will evaluate his long-term future based entirely on his health following a dramatic second-round NCAA tournament exit against St John’s in San Diego on Sunday.
The 63-year-old tactician stated he has not yet made a definitive choice about returning to the sideline next season.
His comments followed a heartbreaking 67-65 defeat to the Red Storm, courtesy of a buzzer-beating layup from Dylan Darling.
“I’ll get back and get with family and visit and see what’s going on,” Self explained.
“I love what I do, I need to be able to do it where I’m feeling good and healthy to do it fairly well.”
Recent medical scares
The two-time national champion has battled several serious medical episodes over recent seasons.
He missed the 2023 postseason after undergoing a heart catheterisation for chest tightness.
In July 2024, the seasoned manager required the insertion of two heart stents, followed by another precautionary hospital visit this past January.
Despite these setbacks, the veteran coach insisted he currently feels “as good as I’ve felt in a long time”.
Tournament struggles and future plans
The Jayhawks’ latest elimination marks the fourth consecutive year they have failed to advance past the NCAA tournament’s opening weekend.
The decorated programme had previously erased a 14-point deficit against St John’s before suffering last-second heartbreak.
“One of the things that makes the tournament so great is that it can be great, but it can also be cruel,” Self admitted.
Addressing his overall tenure, the experienced mentor acknowledged a shift in how he views his career longevity.
“When you get to be doing it as long as I’ve done it, I look at it in five-year increments. Now I’m probably looking at it in more two-year increments, so to speak,” he added.
He dismissed suggestions that the historic programme needs a complete identity overhaul, instead emphasising the importance of upcoming recruitment evaluations.
Madison Booker scored a career-high 40 points to lead the top-seeded Texas Longhorns to a commanding 100-58 victory over the Oregon Ducks in the second round of the women’s NCAA tournament on Sunday.
The three-time All-American delivered a dazzling display of shot-making, creating scoring opportunities from all over the court right from the opening tip-off.
She had already registered 19 points by the end of the first half, completely dismantling the defensive schemes deployed by the visiting team.
Third-quarter surge seals Sweet 16 spot
A spectacular three-point play early in the third quarter saw the versatile playmaker muscle through three defenders for a layup, sparking a devastating 19-4 run.
This explosive burst transformed a competitive contest into an absolute rout, with the hosts ultimately outscoring their opponents 28-8 during that decisive 10-minute spell.
Oregon initially kept pace through impressive first-quarter shooting, but they simply had no answer to the supreme ball-handling and physicality of the game’s standout performer.
Home dominance continues for top seeds
Katie Fiso managed a respectable 16 points to lead the scoring for the eighth seeds, whose campaign concludes with a 23-13 overall record.
In stark contrast, Sunday’s emphatic triumph extended an extraordinary home winning streak to 44 games for the formidable Texas programme.
Boasting an exceptional 33-3 season record, the Longhorns now advance to the Sweet 16 for the third consecutive year as they continue their pursuit of back-to-back Final Four appearances.
They will next travel to Fort Worth to face either fourth-seeded West Virginia or number five seeds Kentucky in the subsequent phase of the competition.
Amaya Battle scored a dramatic jump shot with 0.7 seconds remaining to give Minnesota a 65-63 victory over Ole Miss and secure their first women’s NCAA tournament Sweet 16 appearance in 21 years.
The senior point guard drove along the baseline before stepping back to sink the decisive basket in front of a raucous home crowd at Williams Arena.
A desperate final attempt from the visitors fell short, sparking wild celebrations among the 10,763 fans in attendance.
“I think any basketball player, when you shoot on your own, you’re like, ‘OK, three, two, one,’ throw it up there and see what happens. It was real life today.”
Amaya Battle
A fairytale finish for the Gophers
The 22-year-old finished an outstanding individual performance with 14 points, 11 rebounds, and five assists.
Her pivotal contribution was not limited to the offensive end of the court.
With just over four minutes remaining, she drew a crucial charging foul on Cotie McMahon, eliminating the opposition’s star player from the contest.
“That was our best defense, not having her on the court, very honestly. You can’t make this stuff up.”
Dawn Plitzuweit, Minnesota head coach
Overcoming formidable opposition
Prior to fouling out, McMahon had been dominating the game with 15 points on highly efficient shooting.
The SEC Newcomer of the Year is widely projected to be a first-round selection in next month’s WNBA draft.
However, the top-16 seeded hosts possessed multiple attacking threats of their own to counter the talented forward.
Mara Braun led the scoring for the victorious side, contributing 17 points to ensure her team stayed within striking distance.
“She hits those shots every day in practice over our scout guys. Everyone I think knew that it was in.”
Mara Braun
Heartbreak for the Rebels
The defeat brings a bitter end to the season for the Mississippi-based squad.
Their head coach could only marvel at the dramatic conclusion to the fiercely contested match.
“That’s out of a Disney movie.”
Yolett McPhee-McCuin, Ole Miss head coach
Dylan Darling scored a driving layup as time expired to give St. John’s a dramatic 67-65 victory over Kansas in San Diego on Sunday, sending the programme to its first NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 since 1999.
The tenacious point guard coolly secured the win after the Jayhawks had erased a 13-point deficit in the final eight minutes.
Darryn Peterson hit two crucial free throws to level the score at 65-65 with just 13.1 seconds remaining on the clock.
Utilising their remaining fouls, the opposition wound the clock down to 3.9 seconds to set the stage for the final play.
Pitino’s side survive late scare
Receiving the ball at the top of the key, the Idaho State transfer drove through the lane to bank in his only basket of the game.
The buzzer-beater sparked wild celebrations, with teammates tackling the match-winner in front of the travelling band.
Zuby Ejiofor and Bryce Hopkins had earlier laid the foundation for the fifth-seeded Red Storm, scoring 18 points apiece.
Under the guidance of 73-year-old head coach Rick Pitino, the Big East champions have now won 21 of their last 22 fixtures.
Duke await in regional semi-finals
The historic victory sets up a monumental clash against overall top seed Duke in the East Region semi-finals in Washington.
This encounter also marked a rare meeting between two Hall of Fame managers, with Pitino overcoming 63-year-old Bill Self.
Despite 21 points from Peterson and a 15-point haul from Melvin Council Jr, the fourth-seeded side fell short of the next round.
Having ended Arizona’s unbeaten season in early February, the former national champions subsequently suffered a significant dip in form, losing six of their final 11 games.
LeBron James has broken the record for the most regular-season games played in NBA history, marking his 1,612th appearance as the Los Angeles Lakers secured a dramatic 105-104 victory over the Orlando Magic.
The 41-year-old surpassed the previous landmark of 1,611 games established by legendary center Robert Parish in 1997.
His historic milestone coincided with a thrilling finish, sealed when Luke Kennard drained a decisive three-pointer with just 0.6 seconds remaining on the clock.
The four-time NBA champion contributed 12 points, six rebounds, four assists and three steals to help secure a ninth consecutive triumph for his soaring team.
A milestone built on longevity
“It just kind of happened. It was not on the list of things that I wanted to accomplish.”
The league’s all-time leading points scorer admitted his early career aspirations were focused on championships, MVP awards and Olympic gold medals rather than longevity records.
“But some of the stuff that’s just been happening over the course of the last few years has been super-duper cool.”
Currently sitting third in the Western Conference, the Californian franchise continues to thrive while the defeated Magic remain eighth in the Eastern Conference standings.
“Availability, I’ve always wanted to be available to my team-mates.”
The veteran star acknowledged the significant mental toll required to maintain such an unprecedented level of physical readiness over 23 consecutive professional seasons.
Durant surpasses Jordan in scoring charts
Elsewhere on a historic night for basketball, Kevin Durant moved past iconic shooting guard Michael Jordan to claim fifth place on the NBA’s all-time regular-season scoring list.
The prolific forward reached 32,294 career points by sinking a crucial fourth-quarter three-pointer during a 27-point display for the Houston Rockets.
His offensive masterclass ensured the fourth-placed Rockets snatched a narrow 123-122 win against the Miami Heat, who sit ninth in the East.
“I’m grateful to be here and for this incredible journey it’s been. I’m looking forward to continuing.”
Thunder maintain top spot despite ejections
In another notable fixture, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander delivered a spectacular 40-point performance to guide the reigning NBA champions Oklahoma City Thunder to a fiery 132-111 victory over the Washington Wizards.
The commanding win was marred by a mass brawl near the end of the second quarter that resulted in four players being ejected from the court.
Oklahoma City’s Ajay Mitchell, Jaylin Williams and Cason Wallace were all dismissed by officials, alongside Washington forward Justin Champagnie.
The triumphant Thunder retain their position at the summit of the Western Conference, while the struggling Wizards languish in 14th place.
The Los Angeles Lakers have submitted a formal appeal to the NBA to rescind Luka Doncic’s 16th technical foul and prevent an automatic one-game suspension.
The Slovenian guard was penalised during Saturday’s 105-104 victory over the Orlando Magic following a heated verbal altercation with centre Goga Bitadze.
If the league upholds the official’s decision, the former Dallas Mavericks star will be banned for Monday’s fixture against the Detroit Pistons.
Under NBA rules, players receive an automatic one-match suspension upon accumulating 16 technical fouls during a single regular season.
Dispute over inappropriate language
Referee Marat Kogut issued a double technical foul to both players with just over a minute remaining in the third quarter.
The two European players have since provided conflicting accounts regarding the exact nature of their court-side exchange.
Following the match, the Lakers playmaker claimed his opponent had directed a deeply offensive comment towards his family while at the free-throw line.
“He said at the free throw, he would f*** my whole family. And at some point, this is a basketball court. At some point, I just can’t stand it. I got to stand up for myself.”
Bitadze claims initial provocation
The Orlando centre firmly denied initiating the offensive language during a subsequent interview with the media.
Bitadze alleged that Doncic first insulted his mother in Serbian, prompting him to simply repeat the exact phrase in retaliation.
“He just said some inappropriate things in the Serbian language, which, I played in Serbia, I understand. I don’t know if he knew I understood what he said. So, I just said it back.”
The Georgian international issued a conditional apology, stating he merely responded in the heat of the moment and did not mean to disrespect his opponent’s family.
Officials defend technical calls
The Lakers’ front office believes match officials should have issued a formal warning before immediately escalating to technical fouls.
However, crew chief Marc Davis insisted that both individuals had already been expressly instructed to stop their ongoing taunting.
“They were both warned to cease their comments directed towards one another between the two free throws.”
The NBA disciplinary committee is expected to review the incident and deliver a final ruling before Los Angeles take to the court on Monday.
Kevin Durant has passed Michael Jordan to become the fifth-highest scorer in NBA history during the Houston Rockets’ 123-122 victory over the Miami Heat.
The 37-year-old scored 27 points on Saturday night to reach 32,294 career points, surpassing the Chicago Bulls legend by a two-point margin.
Entering the fourth quarter with 21 points, the two-time NBA champion hit back-to-back three-pointers to eclipse the iconic milestone.
Looking ahead to Kobe Bryant
After sinking the record-breaking shot from the right corner, the former Phoenix Suns star briefly raised his arms to acknowledge the ecstatic home crowd.
When asked about passing the six-time NBA champion, the veteran forward made it clear he is not resting on his laurels.
“Four more to go,” he said with a smile.
Next in his sights is Los Angeles Lakers great Kobe Bryant, who currently occupies fourth place with 33,643 career points.
The milestone continues a remarkable season for the 16-time All-Star, who previously moved past Wilt Chamberlain and Dirk Nowitzki earlier in the campaign.
A dramatic finish in Houston
The historic achievement was nearly overshadowed by a tense finale against the Heat.
The Olympic gold medalist missed a potential game-winning jumper in the dying seconds of the contest.
However, team-mate Amen Thompson tipped in the rebound to secure a vital win for the Rockets.
“Just being on a team with greatness like that, it’s inspiring, for sure,” Thompson said.
“Witnessing him break these records, it’s been cool to watch.”
Inspiring the next generation
Houston head coach Ime Udoka praised his star player’s focus amid the intense media spotlight.
“Passing Michael Jordan is obviously a huge accomplishment and we celebrated that with him,” Udoka said.
Despite missing the entire 2019-20 season with a severe Achilles injury, the four-time scoring champion has remained one of the sport’s most prolific offensive threats.
The veteran acknowledged that while the records are an honour, his primary focus remains on his ongoing journey.
“It’s cool, but it’s hard to take in when you’re still on the journey, when you just care about getting better,” he said.
Nebraska have advanced to the NCAA tournament Sweet 16 for the first time in their history after a thrilling 74-72 victory over Vanderbilt in Oklahoma City.
Frager secures historic victory
Braden Frager proved to be the match-winner with a crucial driving layup with just 2.2 seconds remaining on the clock.
Vanderbilt came agonisingly close to snatching the game at the buzzer, but Tyler Tanner’s desperation heave from beyond half-court rimmed out.
The dramatic conclusion sparked wild celebrations among the travelling supporters inside the Paycom Center.
It marks a monumental milestone for the fourth-seeded Cornhuskers, who had never won a single March Madness fixture prior to their opening-round success against Troy two days earlier.
Tanner shines in defeat for Commodores
Tanner delivered an outstanding individual performance for the fifth seeds, recording a game-high 27 points.
The guard’s late layup had given Vanderbilt a slender two-point advantage in a chaotic finale that saw the lead change hands four times.
However, Sam Hoiberg, son of head coach Fred Hoiberg, crucially levelled the contest with a vital putback moments earlier.
Frager and Pryce Sandfort both contributed 15 points to pace a balanced offensive effort from the historic victors.
Houston awaits Hoiberg’s transformed side
The Big Ten coach of the year has masterminded a remarkable turnaround during his seven-year tenure in Lincoln.
His squad garnered national attention earlier this campaign following a flawless 20-0 start that propelled them to fifth in the AP poll.
They will now travel to Houston for the South Region semifinals on Thursday.
A daunting matchup against either top-seeded Florida or ninth-seeded Iowa awaits the surging tournament debutants.