Sports are just that, sports, and while there is an entire economy around sports, life is what matters at the end of the day.
The Illinois basketball program is going to start playing meaningful games here in a few months. With so many new bodies on the court, the Illini will hope to gel early and make a run toward March.
On Thursday, something way more serious than the game happened to one of the former Illinois head coaches. It was reported by Jeff Borzello of ESPN that Kansas head coach Bill Self was admitted to the hospital with what he is calling “some concerning symptoms.”
Borzello goes on to report that Self did undergo a procedure to insert two stents and, thankfully, he is expected to make a full recovery.
NEWS: Kansas coach Bill Self was hospitalized Thursday after experiencing “some concerning symptoms,” the school said. He underwent a procedure to have two stents inserted and is expected to make a full recovery.
— Jeff Borzello (@jeffborzello) July 24, 2025
This is a scary situation, but a silver lining is that Self caught this before it got too bad. He was able to get treatment and start his path to recovery. He took action, and that is what matters the most. When you feel something is off, act on it. Don’t just wait and brush it off.
The hope is that Self will be able to be back on the sidelines this season. He has been a great coach with the Jayhawks, winning the Big 12 Coach of the Year six times and securing four trips to the Final 4 and two national championships.
Bill Self built the foundation for the Illinois basketball national championship run
Before Self’s run with Kansas, his stop was in Champaign. We were able to pull him from Tulsa to replace Lon Kruger, who headed to the Atlanta Hawks of the NBA.
Self had Illinois playing at a high level. We made an Elite 8, and he also recruited some of the best talent this program has seen. The trio of Dee Brown, Deron Williams, and Luther Head, among others, came from the Self staff.
Regardless of how many battles we have through the years, Self will always remain a great coach for the Illini. He helped orchestrate some of the best seasons in program history, and I am glad he was able to get the help needed to get him back in the game as soon as possible. Get well soon, Coach.