Kansas basketball coach Bill Self addresses the upcoming season, his coaching future, and his thoughts on freshman Tyran Stokes at Big 12 Media Days.
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Kansas basketball head coach Bill Self addressed the media on Tuesday as part of the 2026 Monster Energy Big 12 Media Days at T-Mobile Center in downtown Kansas City, Missouri.
Self took a variety of questions from local and national media members as his team prepares for what should be an exciting 2026-27 season with a reloaded roster that appears capable of winning a national championship.
These were some of the biggest takeaways from Self throughout the day.
Roster Construction
Self was asked about his roster and what makes this group unique compared to past KU teams.
âI like our roster,â Self said. âI liked our roster before three weeks agoâ¦I think weâre deeper, I think weâre more skilled shooting the basketball, I think weâre longer, I think weâre more athletic.â
Despite the praise, Self said thereâs still much to be determined about this yearâs team, but heâs hopeful about what they can become.
âThose are nice things about a team, but how tough are we, how much we like each other, will we sacrifice for the good of others, can we put winning over everything else â those are intangible things that nobody will figure out until later on, but I think this team has a chance to be very, very good.â
Self also commented that he doesnât believe weâll truly know what kind of team this is until January once theyâve gone through some adversity.
Tyran Stokes
Self was asked how good star freshman Tyran Stokes is and if he lives up to the hype.
âI donât know about the hype because the way you usually live up to the hype is points and rebounds,â Self said. âHeâs a check-the-box kind of guy ⦠He can really play well and not score points. So, will he live up to other peopleâs hype? I donât know.â
Self later talked about what surprised him most about Stokes during the preseason.
âWhatâs surprised me about him is his basketball IQ is ridiculously high,â Self said. âThe other thing is when heâs playing at his highest level, heâs a passer first, scorer second â and guys love playing with him. And I think itâs not a surprise, but I think to some people it could be a surprise â thereâs nobody on our team thatâs more coachable. I coach him hard, and he comes back for more every day.â
Selfâs Return and His Coaching Future
When asked if Self believes he has anything left to prove as a coach â given all that heâs accomplished in his career â by coming back to Kansas for at least one more season, he said, âI donât believe thereâs anything left to prove, but I think thereâs more work to be done.â
Self also touched on whether this will be his last season as head coach at KU.
âWhat my legacy is hopefully is what we do this year and what we do next year,â Self said. âIâm not really concerned about that, and Iâm certainly not thinking like itâs my last. I know Iâm on the back nine, but I donât know what hole Iâm on right now. A lot depends on how we feel, and as long as we play well, Iâll feel a lot better.â
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A Topeka native and lifelong Jayhawk, Dillon Davis was born into the fandom during a Kansas basketball NCAA Tournament run in the early â90s. Since graduating from the University of Kansas in 2014, he has channeled that passion into sportswriting, contributing thousands of stories to the KU beat since 2018. Following tenures at Armchair Media and Fansided, Dillon joined Kansas on SI in May 2025 to bring his unique storytelling and deep-rooted perspective to Jayhawk fans across the country. KC Sports Network is the premier destination for Kansas City sports fans with podcasts, YouTube and social media content. Stay connected with the latest news and analysis by following KCSN on all social media platforms.
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