BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — Jacque Vaughn’s point guard days at Kansas may be long gone, but he’s still collecting assists for the program.
Vaughn took over for head coach Bill Self and paced the sideline on Tuesday night, leading the 19th-ranked Jayhawks to a 75-69 victory over Colorado.
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Self went to the hospital on Monday and was unable to make the trip because he wasn’t feeling well. He was discharged on intravenous fluids. Self has missed several games in recent seasons due to heart issues.
Their coach is in their head.
“It’s definitely a win for Coach Self, a win for Coach Vaughn, and a win for the team,” explained Trey White, who had 17 points and 15 rebounds. “We do have extra pressure today.”
The win would extend Self’s resume, which improves his career record to 22-1 against Buffalo, albeit at home. Vaughn plays the acting coach role well. He walked along the sidelines, sometimes crossing his arms and sometimes gesticulating.
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“I tell the guys the best part of team sports is everyone has a role, and my role is to fill in for the coach,” said Vaughn, the decorated point guard at Kansas from 1993-97 who has had his jersey retired. “You do your best. You do it your way.”
His team responded to his instructions. The Jayhawks (14-5, 4-2 Big 12) also performed well, holding Colorado scoreless for three minutes late in the game to win their third straight game.
After the game, Vaughn said he received a text message from Self.
“He’s definitely watching,” Vaughan said. “We didn’t play as well as we could have or wanted to, but he’s happy we got the ‘W’.”
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Will Self return to the sideline for Saturday’s game at Kansas State?
“I don’t know the timeline,” Vaughn said. “I’m going to do my part in whatever it is, but he’s excited and we’re looking forward to seeing him when we get back.”
Vaughn returned to Kansas State last May as an assistant. He brings a wealth of NBA head coaching experience after coaching in Orlando and Brooklyn.
His team appreciates what he does on the sidelines. The Jayhawks needed a late rush and tight defense to escape Boulder with a win.
“He’s very calm,” said forward Flory Bidunga, who blocked four shots and finished with 11 points. “He has confidence in us and trusts us. He tells us we need to get the job done, tells us we need to be ourselves and that’s it.”
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Especially Melvin Council Jr., who scored 10 of his 18 points in the final 5:07. Darin Peterson also hit a key three-pointer in the final seconds.
“We talked about, at the end of the day, can we leave this empty can?” Vaughn said. “That way you can leave everything to your teammates.”
A mantra straight out of Self’s book.
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