Kansas coach Bill Self plans to return vs. Kansas State, and Peterson is questionable for the game

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Kansas coach Bill Self intends to be on the sideline Saturday night when the No. 19 Jayhawks make the 2-hour trip down Interstate 70 to play Kansas State. He just isn’t sure whether he’ll have Darryn Peterson on the court.

Peterson, who is widely considered a potential No. 1 NBA draft pick, had 16 points while playing 32 minutes in a 75-69 win over Colorado on Tuesday night. But he was less explosive after turning his ankle, and Self said Thursday that it turned out to be a sprain.

“He’s got a pretty severe ankle sprain, but fortunately that’s all it is, a sprain,” Self said. “Hopefully he’ll be able to go and play (on Saturday night), but we’re not at a point where we’ll be able to make a decision on that yet.”

It is merely the latest injury for the freshman guard. Peterson missed several games earlier this season with cramping issues.

Meanwhile, the 63-year-old Self said he was feeling good after a brief trip to the hospital earlier this week because of what he called some “abnormal” chest pain. Self was given some fluids but was unable to accompany the Jayhawks on their trip to Colorado, where former Kansas and NBA star Jacque Vaughn coached them to victory.

“The situation I had was very similar to what many people have. Mine got me pretty good for a short snippet of time and then was under control,” Self said. “That won’t have any impact at all moving forward in any way, shape or form.”

Self has had a series of heart ailments, including one three years ago that kept him from coaching in the Big 12 and NCAA tourneys. He had two stents inserted to help treat blocked arteries in that case, then had two more stents inserted last July.

Self said he watched the Colorado game on TV on Tuesday night and was back in the office the following day.

“I know now what it means to be an ‘armchair quarterback,’ because I sat there and watched and I had all the answers,” Self said a wry grin. “I started thinking to myself, ‘Well, I have all the answers now,’ but those would be the same answers I would have if I was coaching, and not all those answers work, nor do people execute the way you think they should. So I saw what it means to be an armchair quarterback. I can agree with many fans when they are doing the same thing.”

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