DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Bill Self will miss top-seeded Kansas’ second-round NCAA Tournament game against Arkansas on Saturday, the school announced.
Self, who is recovering from a heart procedure he received earlier this month, has been with his team since it arrived in Des Moines and attended meetings and practices.
Self declined to comment Friday when he walked past reporters after practice, but said in a radio interview before the Jayhawks’ first-round win over Howard that he is feeling better and getting stronger — just not yet ready to be on the bench for a game.
Norm Roberts, Self’s longtime assistant, will serve as acting coach for a fifth game.
Self went to the emergency room the night of March 8, shortly after watching the Jayhawks hold a final shootaround ahead of their Big 12 Tournament quarterfinal. He was complaining of chest tightness and concerns with his balance, and the 60-year-old had two stents placed to help treat blocked arteries.
Kansas is 3-1 in Self’s absence, with the loss coming to Texas in the Big 12 Tournament championship game.
The 57-year-old Roberts is Self’s right-hand man, having been on Self’s staff at four coaching stops.
“We have been together for almost 25 years, so we probably do finish each other’s sentences in basketball terms,” Roberts said Friday.
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