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look forward to coaching you guys,’” Roberts said.

The statement from KU also included some new details about exactly what put Self in the hospital in the first place. It said that Self “arrived at the emergency department Wednesday evening March 8, complaining of chest tightness and balance concerns,” and that “Self underwent a standard heart catheterization and had two stents placed for the treatment of blocked arteries.

“Coach Self responded well to the procedure and is expected to make a full recovery,” the statement said. McCullar improving

Roberts said KU senior Kevin McCullar Jr., who missed the Big 12 championship game because of back spasms, was in better shape on Sunday.

“Kevin’s doing good,” Roberts said. “He’s feeling a lot better. I think not playing yesterday helped. He’ll get some more rest today and then hopefully be able to do something tomorrow or Tuesday.” more than Self. These guys believe they can win any game they play, no matter who it’s against or how far they get behind. And they’ve proven in the past that they’re right. l The pressure’s off. Late in the season, after Kansas wrapped up the Big 12 regular-season crown, there was talk

The goal, of course, is for McCullar to return to the Jayhawks’ lineup as soon as possible. Roberts and several of McCullar’s teammates stressed throughout the Big 12 tournament that the goal was to have him healthy for the long haul, but they’re also eager to get him back.

“Yeah, he’s feeling OK,” Harris said Sunday. “I know he’s been having therapy sessions. We just have to get him healthy and get him ready for Thursday.”

Quick look at the West

Although the Jayhawks obviously will not have to play all 15 teams in the region, the list of talented teams in their corner of the bracket is long.

UCLA was the top No. 2 seed in the entire bracket, and the Bruins were one of the “six or seven” teams the committee considered for a 1 seed. No. 3 seed Gonzaga was the second-highest team on the 3 line, and fourth-seeded Connecticut was the highest No. 4 seed in the bracket. From there, things evened out a little, with Saint Mary’s being the third-best No. 5 seed and TCU the last No. 6 seed.

Should KU get by Howard in Round 1, it will face the winner of the 8-9 game between Arkansas and Illinois. Arkansas was the second-best No. 8 seed in the bracket and Illinois was the final No. 9 seed.

Big 12 gets seven bids

Seven Big 12 Conference teams earned spots in the NCAA Tournament’s 68-team field. Kansas was the highest-seeded Big 12 team; Texas earned the second-best No. 2 seed; and Baylor is the top No. 3 seed. Kansas State is also a No. 3 seed, and Iowa State about the Jayhawks loosening their grip and having a little more fun on the floor, playing freely and with joy. That’s what worked for last season’s team, and there’s no reason to think it can’t happen for this one, too. After all, last year’s team was still chasing KU’s first national title in 14 years. This year’s and TCU are both on the 6 line. West Virginia, as a No. 9 seed, was the lowestseeded Big 12 team in this year’s tournament. Oklahoma State, Oklahoma and Texas Tech are all on the outside looking in.

Early odds group is still hearing about that win and benefitting from it along the way. As a 1 seed, there’s always pressure to make a deep run. But this time, as defending champs, they’re not feeling like they need to win the tourney to return Kansas to the top of the college basketball world.

The first set of odds for Thursday’s matchup with Howard had Kansas as a 23-point favorite, according to Draft Kings.

However, there was much more to the odds equation for the Jayhawks than the Round 1 matchup.

The Jayhawks were listed as the third or fourth favorite to win it all on most sportsbooks online, which makes since given that Self’s squad is the No. 3 overall seed.

In addition, odds from KenPom.com for advancing to each round surfaced shortly after the bracket was revealed on Sunday, and they painted a different picture. The analytics site said the Jayhawks had the fourth-best chance of reaching the Final Four in the West region. No. 2 seed UCLA had the highest chance at 29.36%, and No. 3 Gonzaga (16.69%) and No. 4 UConn (16.52%) were both ahead of the top-seeded Jayhawks (14.94%). Last season, KenPom gave Kansas a 27.9% chance of reaching the Final Four and a 6.6% chance of winning it all, and the Jayhawks achieved both feats.