Hiring Bland as Assistant coach??

USAF Jayhawk wrote: Hiring Bland?

This guy was implicated in the FBI/Adidas sting and either admitted guilt or accepted a plea and served two years probation. No quality of coaching will overcome that stink...What was HCBS thinking?

(Conspiracy nuts will say that Adidas and/or Bland has "something" on Self and forcing him to make this hire...)

What was Self thinking?

1. Excellent recruiter with west coast wide connections (already showing up with Tahj Ariza opting to visit KU after the hiring was announced). NB: no matter what else they are writing, every article I’ve seen so far stresses - or at least admits - his recruiting prowess.

2. None of the stuff Bland did would be an offense in the new environment, And interesting that his head coach “skated” IIRC (“taking one for the team”?)

3. Bland served his NCAA “show cause” time.
Pete Thamel: “USC dismissed Bland in 2018 for his role in the federal investigation into college basketball. He pled guilty to one count of conspiracy. He re-entered the sport at the college level when Danny Sprinkle hired him at UW in May of 2024. He's served a 3-year NCAA show-cause.

4. EXCELLENT way to thumb nose at NCAA hierarchy. 2022 was the perfect way, but that was then shat upon by the NCAA, who’s leader really did make a fool of himself during his post game fit of apoplexy on national TV.

I have no issues with this.
Just as I had no issues with KU hiring Larry Brown despite his UCLA problems.