Bill Self Allegedly Committed a Recruiting Violation With John Wall Recently

John Wall is the country's most highly sought after high school basketball recruit, particularly with Derrick Favors already out of the picture. It shouldn't be shocking to find out that coaches are wooing him left and right, or doing their daggum best to make him love their school.

But that still doesn't excuse Bill Self's alleged recent behavior at a high school basketball tournament that saw Wall turn in what was described News-Leader reporter Allen Vaughn as "mimicking Oscar Robertson." Please bear in mind that this is an "evaluation period" for coaches, where they're not supposed to be talking to players.

That's what was so curious when Kansas coach Bill Self came rolling through.

[...]Self had to know I was a reporter and even said hello to me.

I just thought he'd stand there, maybe even wave to Wall to let him know he was there. Instead, when the Holy Rams poured out of the locker room, Self was excited:

Self: "Johnny, great win man. You really played well."

Wall: "Thanks."

Self: "I'm not supposed to be talking to you, and you know that, but I just wanted to tell you that was a great win."

Then Self vanished.

It's a pretty curious way for Self to approach the whole situation, considering, you know, he knew he wasn't supposed to be chatting Wall up. Did he think that Vaughn somehow wouldn't report the conversation? Or did he think that by caveating his few lines with Wall, the exchanged would somehow be legalized? Surely not.

Of course, Vaughn contacted Missouri State NCAA compliance officer Kyle Kates who referred to the contact as "wrong, but not unique" which is just terrifying on any number of levels. Personally, I'd prefer they just make the lines black and white. Oh, and that they not let the old "self report" move become a total and utter cop-out for anything wrong that a coach does.

H/T Deadspin