Could Bill Self’s absence affect Jayhawks’ March Madness seeding? The NCAA’s answer

Kansas coach Bill Self is out for the rest of the Big 12 Tournament, and his status for the NCAA Tournament next week is unknown, according to the latest from KU Athletics.

Could Self’s availability become a discussion topic for the selection committee as it evaluates the Jayhawks when constructing the bracket — as it would an injured player?

The answer is yes, said NCAA media coordinator David Worlock in an email.

“The same discussions regarding player availability apply to coach availability,” Worlock said. “There’s no steadfast principle or guideline, but the discussions about a player missing a game or games would mirror those of a coach who may not be available.”

Kansas announced Thursday morning that Self would be unavailable for the Jayhawks’ first game in the Big 12 tournament, a quarterfinal match against West Virginia, due to a health situation.

After KU’s 78-61 victory, the school announced that Self would not coach the team in Kansas City this week — adding that he did not suffer a heart attack “as reported by some media” — and underwent a standard procedure that went well. He is expected to make a full recovery.

But no word on Self’s availability for the NCAA Tournament.

Earlier this week, Men’s Basketball Selection Committee Chair Chris Reynolds said conference tournaments give the group an opportunity to evaluate a team with an injured player, and presumably coach.

“Hypothetically, if a player was injured last week and is now going into his conference tournament, those games gives the committee an opportunity to watch and evaluate that team without that key player,” Reynolds said.

Kansas delivered its largest victory margin in a month in beating the Mountaineers. The Jayhawks face Iowa State in Friday’s semifinals.

One of the more memorable calls by the selection committee involving an injured player occurred in 2000, when Cincinnati’s Kenyon Martin, the national player of the year, suffered a broken leg in a conference tournament. The Bearcats, coached by Bob Huggins and a cinch for a top seed, entered the tournament as a No. 2 seed and were eliminated in the second round by a Tulsa team coached by Self.

Norm Roberts is serving as the interim coach in Self’s absence, and it’s not the first time he’s pinch hit. When Self served a suspension for the first four games this season, Roberts, who was St. John’s head coach for six seasons, guided KU to a 4-0 record, including a victory over Duke.

Kansas is considered a strong candidate for a No. 1 seed. But the bigger mystery is whether the Jayhawks will be the overall No. 1 seed and play in the Midwest Region, where the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight games are in Kansas City.