Kansas Jayhawks basketball coach Bill Self talked about, and defended, Texas Tech head coach Billy Gillispie, amid allegations that Gillispie violated NCAA rules by practicing for more hours than allowed, and for mistreating injured players.
Self had plenty to say about Gillispie, and nearly all of it was quite positive.
"With Billy, you're talking about a guy that's gone from six wins to 24 wins (at UTEP). You've got a guy that has gone from zero conference wins (at Texas A&M) to the Sweet 16 in a short amount of time," Self added. "He does have some experience doing it his way and doing it big. His way works."
Self then addressed the allegations that Gillispie mistreated injured players.
"Mistreatment of players should never occur, but there are also two sides to every story. That certainly appears to be the case here, because after hearing from his enemies early, now we've heard from guys who say, ‘Oh, man, he was so hard on me, but I'm a better man for it.' Including players in his current program. As far as making guys practice and play when they're hurt, it's unfathomable to me that the guy that I know would put anyone out there in harm's way intentionally. I have a hard time believing he would do that."
We'll see how the story continues to unfold, but it's quite clear that Self stands firmly in Gillispie's court on these issues.
Follow @sbnation | Like SB Nation on Facebook | Subscribe to SB Nation YouTube