Self tells Oklahoma State he's not leaving Kansas

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Self tells Oklahoma State he's not leaving Kansas

By Andy Katz

ESPN.com

(Archive)

Updated: April 10, 2008, 5:15 PM ET

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Kansas coach Bill Self said Thursday he will remain in Lawrence rather than flirt with his alma mater Oklahoma State.

In a phone interview with ESPN.com, Self said he spoke with Oklahoma State athletics director Mike Holder on Wednesday night. Holder, Self said, did not discuss money and only asked if Self wanted to come home to Stillwater.

"I couldn't see leaving this place," Self, whose Jayhawks beat Memphis for the national championship on Monday, said of KU. "This is where we want to be."

Kansas has called a 5:30 p.m. ET news conference to discuss Self's decision.

Self said he and the administration would meet soon to discuss a new contract, but there was no rush to finalize one.

"I'm still in shock about how we won," Self said. Kansas trailed Memphis by nine points with 2:12 left in regulation, tied the score on Mario Chalmers' 3-point shot in the closing seconds, then prevailed in overtime. "I'm most proud we made so many plays under pressure."

Self said he didn't want to leave Kansas in the manner he departed Tulsa and Illinois -- without enjoying the full fruits of the program's success.

Senior writer Andy Katz covers men's college basketball for ESPN.com.