Bill Self takes Kansas' loss to Utah personal: “I’ve obviously done a s--- job"

Kansas head coach Bill Self didn’t mince words after his team’s frustrating 74-67 loss to Utah on Saturday night in Salt Lake City.

The Jayhawks never led at any point in the game, marking a troubling trend for a team that has now lost four of its last seven contests. Self, in his 22nd season at the helm, took responsibility for Kansas’ struggles, admitting, “I’ve obviously done a s*** job getting these guys to understand the way we have to play in order to give us a chance to win.”

“We were awful,” Self said in his postgame radio interview. “They killed us on the glass, and they killed us off of our turnovers and then, of course, we didn't create much havoc ourselves at all. So it was tough.”

Kansas (17-8, 8-6 Big 12) struggled from the start, falling behind 10-3 early after a highlight-reel alley-oop dunk by Utah’s Ezra Ausar. The Jayhawks clawed their way back, tying the game at 32-32 late in the first half before Utah entered the break with a narrow 39-37 advantage. However, the Utes came out strong in the second half, pushing their lead to 11 points with just under 12 minutes remaining.

The Jayhawks showed resilience, using an 11-0 run to tie the game at 60-60 with 4:31 to play. However, Utah responded immediately, going on a 7-0 run punctuated by a step-back three-pointer from Gabe Madsen. That shot not only gave Utah a cushion but also etched Madsen’s name into school history as the program’s all-time leader in made three-pointers.

Kansas struggled on the boards, getting out-rebounded 42-32, including a 16-6 deficit in offensive rebounds. Turnovers also proved costly, as the Jayhawks committed 12 while Utah had just seven. Those mistakes led to a 22-7 advantage in points off turnovers for the Utes, a major factor in the outcome.

Madsen led all scorers with 24 points, including five three-pointers. Ausar added 12 points and eight rebounds, while Jake Wahlin secured his first career double-double with 10 points and 12 boards. Utah (14-11, 6-8 Big 12) snapped a four-game losing streak against No. 17-ranked opponents and earned its first home victory over a ranked conference foe since 2022.

Kansas will need to regroup quickly as it fights to stay in contention in the Big 12, while Utah prepares for a quick turnaround against Kansas State on Monday night.