Summer gaming

Thursday’s biggest headline is one we didn’t want to wait on:

Kansas coach Bill Self was hospitalized Thursday and had two stents inserted, the school said in a statement.

Self, 62, was transported to the hospital after he “felt unwell and experienced some concerning symptoms.” He had coached the Jayhawks’ summer session that morning.

"The procedure went very well, and he is expected to make a full recovery," the school said in a statement. "He is in good spirits and expects to be released from the hospital soon."

Self missed the 2023 postseason because of similar symptoms. He had a heart catheterization and two stents then to treat blocked arteries. The Hall of Fame coach has been at Kansas since 2003. We’re wishing him the best in his recovery.

Let's get to the rest of Thursday’s news.

1. Baylor going for gold at World University Games

Some programs take overseas tours filled with exhibition games. Some only get to have summer practice.

And some get to go for a title. Or, in this case, gold.

Baylor represented Team USA in this summer’s World University Games, and has played the role perfectly.

The Bears rolled through pool play and were the top seed entering the knockout round. They handled Finland in the quarterfinals, but had their first real test on Thursday vs. Lithuania. They trailed 57-50 at the end of the third quarter, then used an 18-2 run for a 72-64 victory.

Baylor will play Brazil on Saturday for gold.

Beyond the box score, here are some additional takeaways:

• Some notable Baylor players haven’t played, including 5-star freshman wing Tounde Yessoufou, plus Oregon State transfer Michael Rataj, who averaged 16.9 ppg and 7.2 rpg last season.

• Rice transfer Caden Powell started up front — perhaps a sign of what’s to come this season? — but scored just two points in 17 minutes.

• Five players were in double figures, led by Cincy transfer Daniel Skillings. He finished with 17 points on 7-of-16 shooting. Others in double figures include JJ White, Obi Agbim, Cameron Carr, and Samson Aletan.

• Although he shot 5-of-15 from the field for 12 points, Agbim finished with a team-high eight rebounds and five of the team’s seven assists for Baylor. Point guard was a serious question mark for Baylor once guard Rob Wright surprisingly transferred to BYU, so it’s notable that Agbim seemed comfortable and willing to do a little of everything.

Expect to see Yessoufou and Rataj as regular starters, so this isn’t the Baylor squad that’ll be the final version for 2025-26. But it’s an interesting first look at Scott Drew’s squad and how it handles competition.

2. NCAA Tournament will not expand… for now

The question of the summer is will the NCAA Tournament expand for 2026. And NCAA president Charlie Baker finally gave a fairly definitive answer.

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