There could not have been anybody more disappointed to see Travis Ford exit GIA than Bill Self. Ford actually had an impressive record against Self and the Jayhawks (5-10 overall after a win and a loss last season) and did what Eddie Sutton never could (win in Allen Fieldhouse).
But Self knew he would never have to worry about the sleeping giant just south of the Oklahoma-Kansas border contending for his Big 12 crown as long as Ford was the head coach of his alma mater. Now … he might. Brad Underwood tipped his hand a few months ago when he talked about how Bill Self was his host on a visit to Stillwater when he was deciding on a college.