Journal-World archive photo
Kansas head coach Bill Self watches players move quickly around the field during training camp in the practice gym Friday, Sept. 23, 2016, just after 6 a.m.
The Kansas men’s basketball team is back in the gym for the infamous “training camp,” the grueling two-week fitness program that characterized past Septembers during Bill Self’s tenure as as head coach.
KU had its first such practice of the year Monday, and the basketball team commemorated the occasion on social media with a video in which Self, traveling to the opening day of camp practice, explains the origins of the Jayhawks’ most atrocious preseason tradition.
He said it dates back to his first head coaching job at Oral Roberts (1993-97).
“I wanted to do something that wasn’t a total breakdown of conditioning,” Self said in the video. “I wanted something condensed, I wanted something that would get our feet in shape, that would be ready for training, and that would basically set the tone that the guys thought that whatever was ahead of them moving forward wouldn’t be as difficult because they had already done it. I experienced the most difficult thing.
The difficulty has resonated with players over the years, and clearly continues to do so; While Self notes that training camp is “not as hard as the kids think,” former KU forward David McCormack commented on the video’s Instagram post with a cap emoji, saying that is, slang indicating that he doubts the truth of this statement. To which current KU center Hunter Dickinson responded, in turn, with his own crying-laughing emoji.
Junior KJ Adams Jr., a veteran at this point, posted a video on Instagram Monday morning of himself and returning teammate Kevin McCullar Jr. having breakfast with Dickinson transferring to participate in the the latter’s first training camp.
Self said in his video that he views training camp not only as an opportunity for physical exertion, but also for mental toughness, as well as team bonding.
“I hope they come out of this understanding that whenever it gets difficult,” he said, “it’s about someone else, not yourself.”
Self added that the results of the shared experience will be confirmed during the season.
“You’re 7th on the road with three minutes left, and you have to run or whatever,” he said, “guys are going to lean on, ‘Hey guys, it’s nothing.’ Think about what it was like during boot camp, and think about what it was like when he had already killed us and we looked up and we still had 27 more ladders to deal with.
lashing out on the first day of Boot Camp????#RockChalk X #Higher level pic.twitter.com/sxdnlNHmXt
– Kansas Men’s Basketball (@KUHoops) September 18, 2023
Adams, McCullar, Zach Clemence and Dajuan Harris Jr. are the only scholarship players to already have training camp under their belt. Freshmen Johnny Furphy, Elmarko Jackson and Jamari McDowell will take on the challenge for the first time, as will transfers Dickinson, Nick Timberlake and Parker Braun. (Arterio Morris was suspended from the program Friday.)
Once they get through the ordeal, they will emerge on the other side for Late Night in the Phog on October 6.
PREVIOUS ARTICLE
After stumbling over numerous obstacles, the Jayhawks are still 3-0
NEXT ARTICLE
Written by Henry Greenstein
