For all he’s accomplished—a national championship, three Final Fours, 10 Elite Eights and 15 Big 12 titles—Bill Self is always quick to give others credit. It’s just the way he was raised—both as a kid, and as a coach. But when you consider all the success, it’s worth wondering how a kid from Oklahoma, who self-admittedly wasn’t the greatest basketball player, ended up becoming one of the best coaches in the country. So what made Bill Self such a successful coach? Or rather—who helped shape him into a Hall of Famer? The list of names is long, and includes some of the all-time greats. How did R.C. Buford inadvertently get him into coaching? What roles did Larry Brown, Eddie Sutton and Leonard Hamilton play? And what has he learned from all of them that’s enabled him to be so successful? Bill Self was built by legends. And now, he’s becoming one.

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