Kansas Basketball Coach Bill Self Hospitalized Ahead Of Trip To Colorado

The Kansas Jayhawks will be without their longtime leader for Tuesday's late-night matchup against the Colorado Buffaloes men's basketball team.

As announced by Kansas on Monday, coach Bill Self was admitted to Lawrence Memorial Hospital due to an undisclosed illness and didn't travel with the Jayhawks to Boulder. The 63-year-old Self, who has led the Jayhawks since 2003, has suffered multiple other health problems in recent years and received a heart catheterization in 2023.

Kansas Jayhawks Visiting Colorado Buffaloes Coach Bill Self Big 12 Men's Basketball Illness Lawrence Hospital Tad Boyle CU — Kansas Jayhawks head coach Bill Self does a halftime interview during the game against Baylor Bears inside Allen Fieldhouse on Jan. 16, 2026. | Evert Nelson/The Capital-Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

“Kansas men’s basketball coach Bill Self felt under the weather earlier today (Monday) and, out of an abundance of caution, was taken to LMH Health where he received IV fluids," the press release read. "He is feeling better but did not accompany the team to Boulder.”

Unless Self can make a miraculous last-minute trip to Boulder ahead of the 9 p.m. MT tipoff, either associate head coach Jeremy Case or assistant coach Jacque Vaughn will likely step in at Kansas' helm.

Kansas (13-5, 3-2 Big 12) is currently ranked No. 19 in the AP Top 25 after beating Baylor and No. 2 Iowa State last week. Freshman guard Darryn Peterson paces the Jayhawks with 22.2 points per game, and forward Flory Bidunga is averaging a near double-double with 14.2 points and 8.9 rebounds.

Led by longtime coach and Kansas alum Tad Boyle, Colorado (12-6, 2-3 Big 12) is looking to snap a three-game losing streak on Tuesday night. The Buffs opened Big 12 play with wins over Arizona State and Utah but has since fallen to No. 12 Texas Tech, Cincinnati and West Virginia.

Previewing Colorado's Tuesday Night Matchup Vs. Kansas

Colorado's offense has sputtered in recent games outside of guards Barrington Hargress and Isaiah Johnson, who combined for 27 points in Saturday's 72-61 loss at West Virginia. Boyle's Buffs were held to 39 percent shooting and totaled only 22 rebounds to the Mountaineers' 38.

With Bidunga and fellow Kansas forward Bryson Tiller each dominating the boards this season, Colorado needs Bangot Dak and Elijah Malone to step up Tuesday night. Malone hasn't totaled over four rebounds since mid-December, and the 7-footer Dak recorded only one board at WVU.

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"We got to keep fighting and scratching and clawing," Boyle said Saturday, per West Virginia. "I think you can be getting better in this league and improving as a team. I thought our offense, the stuff we ran and how we ran it was much better tonight than it's been.

"I do think we're making progress. We're just not making it fast enough and quick enough, but we can't come into another team's building and be punked by minus-16 on the glass and expect to win because it's probably not going to happen in this league."

ESPN will televise Tuesday's 9 p.m. MT matchup between Colorado and Kansas at the CU Events Center.