LITTLE ROCK — Bill Self couldn’t help himself.
As time ran out Sunday on Kansas’ victory over North Carolina, which sorely missed starting point guard Kendall Marshall who broke his wrist and had surgery eight days ago, the camera focused on Self, who was squatting in front of his bench.
He tried not to, but he smiled.
He had beaten Roy Williams, the man whose shadow he lived in for five years in Lawrence.
Williams was the popular coach who led Kansas to four Final Fours and even though he didn’t win one, his nine regular-season championships and 418-101 record made it very difficult for anyone to replace him when he left for North Carolina, his alma mater after the 2002-2003 season.
Self was known as the coach who built programs at Oral Roberts, Tulsa and at Illinois. He was the hottest name in coaching every time there was a vacancy.
He was the front-runner when Stan Heath was hired to coach Arkansas. Legend has it he was Frank Broyles’ first choice to replace Nolan Richardson.
On a Monday night, Broyles told Self it was his job. On Tuesday, it was decided the Razorbacks needed to hire a minority in case Richardson sued over his dismissal. Heath interviewed and blew away then-Chancellor John White.
He got the job and eventually Self ended up at Kansas, where he’s won or tied for the Big 12 regular season championship every year but his first season.
His second and third seasons were 23-7 and 25-8, respectively, but he lost in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, first to Bucknell and then to Bradley.
In 2008, though, he and Kansas beat Memphis for the national championship. In each of the past three seasons, the Jayhawks have won more than 30 games and Saturday will face Ohio State in the second semifinal game at 7:49 p.m.
Both are No. 2 seeds.
Yes, Self’s name came up a year ago at Arkansas, but he was never a candidate.
“I’m not leaving Kansas for anyone,” he said in a phone interview. “Arkansas can still be a great job, but I’ve found my home.”
In other words, he has it working there.
Recruiting is good, the money is great - his $3 million a year would most likely go up if he wins another national championship - and he and his family are happy.
Sure, there is a downside to Kansas: football. When talk of realignments were going on, before the Pacific-12 told Texas it could not have its own television network, it appeared Kansas, with its unattractive football program, might be a candidate for a smaller conference.
Right now though, they are dancing in the streets of Lawrence, where James Naismith, the man who is credited with creating basketball, once coached, and where the hopes and dreams of bringing home another national championship trophy run high.
It won’t be easy.
Ohio State matches up with Kansas in size and is maybe a little more athletic.
However, the Jayhawks showed true mental toughness in their victory over North Carolina. The Tar Heels got within 68-67 with 3:58 to play but Elijah Johnson calmly buried a three-pointer and Kansas outscored North Carolina 12-0 to close the game.
Granted, it was during that time when the Tar Heels really missed Marshall’s leadership, discipline and defense.
While Self got his title in 2008, Ohio State, known for football and trading football honors for tattoos, hasn’t won the big one since 1960 in Daly City, Calif.
This looks like Kentucky’s championship to lose, and there will be much more on that this week, but Kansas was the team that fell from a No. 1 seed to a No. 2 seed after losing its tournament semifinal game to Baylor.
It was not an enthusiastic group that learned its fate on Selection Sunday, but Kansas earned its way to the Final Four with a victory over a great team, and Bill Self couldn’t help but smile.
Sports, Pages 15 on 03/27/2012