After practicing and eating lunch, Self and his players headed to California via a charter flight. Their travel itinerary showed a schedule that included \u201ca nice dinner tonight, scouting report tonight, and then tomorrow will be a busy day.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Jayhawks were to practice at an unnamed location Thursday and then take part in a short shootaround at Viejas Arena from 4:15 p.m.-4:55 p.m. California time. The shootaround is free and open to the public.<\/p>\n
\u201cSomething that was really good today, little things,\u201d Self said. \u201cIt\u2019s one thing to have a police escort. It\u2019s another thing to have a motorcycle escort that brings you in when our guys have never seen that before \u2014 first time to a tournament, and then you get to this place, and you\u2019re eating out there, open air over a pool, stuff like that gives the appearance of big-time.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd so many venues are based on that feeling, based on where you\u2019re at. Go to Chicago on St. Paddy\u2019s Day and the (Chicago River) is green and stuff. It just feels different. And certainly this feels different than last year, there\u2019s no question. So I think the guys will be excited.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Jayhawks a year ago lost to Arkansas in the first round of the tournament at Providence, Rhode Island.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think a lot of times the guys, and we do it as adults too, we think we know when we have no clue,\u201d Self said. \u201cWe do it as adults: \u2018This is how it\u2019s got to be.\u2019 The first time you walk the grounds at The Masters, you say, \u2018How hilly could it really be? There\u2019s no way (it\u2019s that hilly).\u2019 And then you go there and you are totally gassed. I think the NCAA Tournament is like that for the first time.\u201d<\/p>\n
Self continued talking about the tourney and KU\u2019s assigned first- and second-round venue in Southern California: \u201cWould we rather be in Oklahoma City or St Louis? I don\u2019t know?\u201d he said. \u201cThe biggest negative (in San Diego) is Cal Baptist is an hour away. And so the crowd will certainly, I would think, side with the underdog because they\u2019re local.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut that\u2019s the way it is in a lot of places. We played in Minneapolis, Cole (Aldrich\u2019s) whole town was there. That was great until we played North Dakota State and they had 20,000 people because we played in the dome. I don\u2019t know that there\u2019s a formula that works better than another.\u201d<\/p>\n
Self was referring to March 2009, when Minneapolis native Aldrich and the Jayhawks opened the 2009 tourney in Aldrich\u2019s hometown. KU edged North Dakota State 84-74, then beat Dayton 60-43 in the second round at the Metrodome, advancing to the Sweet 16.<\/p>\n
If No. 4 seed KU defeats No. 13 Cal Baptist on Friday, the Jayhawks would play either St. John\u2019s or Northern Iowa on Sunday for a spot in the Sweet 16 a week from Friday in Washington, D.C.<\/p>\n
San Diego is the third-longest trip Kansas has made in tournament play in the last 50 years. KU played in San Jose, California in 2007 and Eugene, Oregon in 1978.<\/p>\n
This year\u2019s NCAA Tournament marks the final college hoops go-round for Jayhawks freshman Darryn Peterson, who is completing his one-and-done college season before heading to this year\u2019s NBA Draft.<\/p>\n
Self was asked if Peterson could carry the Jayhawks to a national title, as Danny Manning did in 1988.<\/p>\n
\u201cDanny was a senior and had been through three other tournaments and been in the Final Four and done all that stuff,\u201d Self said. \u201cDarryn doesn\u2019t have the same experience, obviously, Danny had. Is he ready to play his best ball this year? Absolutely.\u201d<\/p>\n
This story was originally published March 18, 2026 at 7:50 PM.<\/p>\n
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