Notable Quotes From Kansas HC Bill Self After Defeating No. 13 Texas Tech

Despite trailing by double digits at one point, Kansas prevailed yesterday in its Big Monday matchup in Lubbock. The Jayhawks pulled off a thrilling 64-61 victory thanks to the late-game heroics of freshman star Darryn Peterson.

Following the victory, head coach Bill Self headed to the podium to speak with the media. These were some of his most notable quotes from the night:

On the play call for Peterson's game winning three:

"Well, he hadn't made many tonight, and he was just kind of out there. And he's got something that I guess you're born with and can't teach. He's got just an unbelievable ability to raise up when it counts the most, raise his level when it counts the most. And that's what he did tonight. I mean, those two plays he made were obviously the two biggest plays in the game for us, but we were fortunate tonight. Christian [Anderson] didn't play and we weren't any good. They struggled shooting the ball and scoring too. But we just kind of pieced together and made enough plays to get it."

On the team's defense in the closing stages:

"I think it was Flory Bidunga. To me, there's not a better defender, regardless of position anywhere. He can guard one through five, he did a great job on Watts when he guarded him and Watts killed us, and he did a great job on JT, and he can switch and guard a guard. So, I think Flory had a lot to do with that."

On Flory Bidunga's improved defense:

"He's a lot different player now than he was earlier. He's learning how to not gamble and reach and lunge, and make somebody score over his length. And he's doing a lot better job of that."

On if the team can build off the performance:

"I hope so. I don't know, if we'd had lost, I would have said I hoped so. We've come down here often and not left happy, so we'll take this. We know we were fortunate tonight. I thought Petty was great to start the game, and I thought Watts was the best player in the game up until the very end, and I thought Flory and DP took over. We had the game won and Tre makes a bad play, but we did enough to win, but we were very fortunate."

On Peterson staying in the game down the stretch and avoiding cramps:

"I don't know, I didn't ask him. I wasn't going to give him a chance to say it was. I don't know, I don't think he was nearly as explosive tonight as what he has been. So I don't know if it's fatigue, I don't know what it was, but I know he elevated on those last two."

On the chatter around Peterson's lack of availability:

"Oh yeah, my personal opinion is, it's water off his back. He's cut different when it comes to that type of stuff. I don't think that we as a program should put extra pressure on him, but the pressure, he enjoys."