"So when he bounced around the Allen Fieldhouse court after Kansas upset then-No. 1 Arizona on Feb. 9, embracing his players as if the clock had just struck midnight on New Year's Eve, it shocked them. "That's three hugs in my career," sophomore Flory Bidunga said after the game. "He's giving hugs now? We've got to cut him off." Rare as it is, Self's celebration matched the moment: The Jayhawks had just handed the 23-0 Wildcats their first loss of the season."
"The saga took on a new life nine days after the win over Arizona, when Peterson benched himself in the second half last Wednesday in a victory at Oklahoma State, Self's alma mater. It was Peterson's shortest outing yet (18 minutes), sparking a cycle of national media criticism, including ESPN's Stephen A. Smith even discouraging NBA teams from selecting the top prospect No. 1 in the upcoming draft."
""I thought we were past it, but obviously we're not," Self told reporters after the game in Stillwater. "It's certainly a concern. You get into the NCAA tournament, you're playing a team just as good as you and you need to have all your best players available, so to speak. All it takes is for one day like that to derail not only a game, but a season.""
Bill Self showed rare emotion after Kansas upset No. 1 Arizona while the Jayhawks were without Darryn Peterson, who was a late scratch with flu-like symptoms. Peterson has missed 11 of 27 games and logged fewer than 25 minutes in seven of 16 appearances due to hamstring and ankle issues and persistent cramping. He benched himself during the Oklahoma State game, producing national criticism and draft concerns. A precautionary hospitalization previously cost Self a road trip. Self warned that unpredictable availability of key players could derail individual games and an entire season heading into the NCAA tournament.
Read at ESPN.com
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