Self-determining moment

SAN ANTONIO – Kansas guard Mario Chalmers was the hero of Monday night’s national title victory against Memphis in overtime at the Alamodome.

His three-point shot with 2.1 seconds left in regulation tied the score, 63-63, and gave Kansas the extra time it needed to pull off one of the most memorable comeback victories in NCAA tournament history.

But the big winner of Monday’s game is going to be Kansas Coach Bill Self, who before this tournament wore the label of “Mr. Can’t Win The Big One.”

This is the same Self who couldn’t get his Jayhawks out of the first round in 2005 and 2006, losing to Bucknell and Bradley.

A bounce here, though, and a shot there, and Self will now be assured.

He can expect to double his salary, maybe quadruple it, build a new home on a lake, all because his player made a life-changing three-pointer and, a week before, Davidson’s Jason Richards missed a three that would have kept Kansas out of the Final Four.

“I don’t think just because a guy makes a guarded shot with 2.1 seconds left [it] makes me any different than if he hadn’t made the shot,” Self said Tuesday morning during a news conference at the Alamodome.

Maybe not, but Self will be a changed man.

The timing on Chalmers’ shot was perfect, but Self’s timing isn’t bad either.

He played for and graduated from Oklahoma State, where the coach, Sean Sutton, announced his resignation April 1.

That set the stage for the school, backed by bushels-of-money booster T. Boone Pickens, to make a run at Self once Kansas’ tournament run ended.

“I would answer the phone,” Self said. “Good gosh. I know all those people. I’m not going to lie and say I’m not going to answer the phone. But I certainly wouldn’t answer the phone unless everybody at Kansas knew exactly what was going on.”

Self said he was “positively not” interested in the Oklahoma State job and said he was interested in sitting down and talking to Kansas about the situation.

Self has three years left on a contract that pays him $1.3 million per season, so that’s the starting point. Oklahoma State, though, might come up with crazy numbers.

In Kansas they’re saying, “Here we go again.”

Five years ago it was Roy Williams, who left Lawrence after 15 years to take the job at North Carolina.

Kansas fans booed Williams till they were hoarse Saturday during a semifinal win over Williams’ Tar Heels.

On a positive note, if Self goes, he will have left behind a national championship trophy.

Self would appear to be better off recruiting at Kansas than he would be at Oklahoma State, but good coaches can recruit anywhere.

Self also loses five seniors off this year’s Kansas title squad.

Should he stay or should he go?

Players make plays, or opposing players don’t, and coaches cash in or out.

This is the paradigm in college sports.

Fans wait years for their school to win a national championship and get to enjoy it for hours before worrying about what comes next.

After the parade comes pins and needles.

Florida fans went through it last year when Billy Donovan, after leading the Gators to consecutive national titles, accepted a job with the NBA’s Orlando Magic only to have buyer’s remorse and return to Gainesville.

Winning always comes with a price – the price is just higher these days.

Coaches get fired fast for losing, too, so the smart ones work the system before it works them.

Self is one of the smart ones, and staying at Kansas still might be a smart move.

“What I’d like to have is like everybody’d like to have,” Self said. “I’d like to have some security. I don’t know what even Kansas would remotely be talking about. We haven’t even talked about that. When I say security, I mean years, so hopefully that will happen.”

Kansas fans will be watching, as always, from their seat edges.

chris.dufresne@latimes.com