He’s previously received instruction from coaching greats Eddie Sutton, Larry Brown and Leonard Hamilton, but much of Bill Self’s offensive success in his 11 years at Kansas comes from a belief that wasn’t a hand-me-down.

"I just think basketball can be summed up very easily: If you’re good, you get easy baskets and don’t give them up," Self said. "And if you’re not very good, you give them up and you don’t get them."

It’s a simple way to describe the key for Self’s offenses in the past decade: They are lethal in their ability to maximize on their shots at the rim.

The numbers reflect this. The Jayhawks have finished in the top 35 nationally in 2-point percentage in 10 of Self’s 11 seasons, and advanced numbers from Hoop-Math.com also show KU’s dominance near the basket as KU has ranked second, first and first in the Big 12 the last three seasons when it comes to percentage of shots at the rim.

"We can have a shooting contest with other schools," Self said, "and a lot of times wouldn’t win them."

So part of KU’s offensive secret is taking that chance out of the equation.

Junior forward Jamari Traylor said he can’t count the times he’s heard one line repeated from Self in practices and film sessions.

"He drills it in our head: ‘The easiest shot in the game is the layup,’" Traylor said.

For years now, Self has followed a similar offensive formula that has helped KU to 10 straight league titles — one that includes three coaching points in particular that has made it close-shot friendly.

All about angles: Listen to Self talk enough in press conferences, and you’ll hear him talk often about his big men getting angles inside.

"Those are basically points you don’t have to score over defense," Self said. "You can get an angle and it leads you right into a basket."

Some teams emphasize this offensively. Others don’t.

Self, though, stresses that his big men work hard to get position while also asking his perimeter players to look for inside.

So how does a big man go about getting an angle? Traylor said one example could be this: A forward gets inside position then works to push his man further and further away from the basket. Following a pass to the top of the key, that forward is then open for a pass over the top.

"You get an angle," Traylor said, "and you get a pretty easy layup."

These types of plays have been a big part of the Jayhawks’ strong shooting percentages over the years.

One example was a season ago, as according to Hoop-Math, KU made 67 percent of its shots at the rim, good for the 19th-best percentage nationally.

"They get the ball in the paint," Iowa State coach Fred Hoiberg said, "as well as any team in the nation."

Getting help: Another frequently used Self term is saying that the basketball is "sticking" offensively.

Self’s half-court style is predicated on forcing the defense to work most of the shot clock. That means a higher number of passes than you might see from other teams.

"Get the ball moving side to side and the defense is going to break down," Traylor said. "That’s when you’re going to get a bucket."

Hoiberg also has been impressed by KU’s ability to swing it on the perimeter, saying that numbers have proven that additional passes result in higher-percentage shots.

Scoring quickly: Self has recruited well at KU, and one of the best ways for a team to show off its athleticism is by running in transition.

The Jayhawks, when they have been able to get fast breaks, have scored at elite levels.

According to Hoop-Math’s numbers, KU has ranked in the top 30 in transition shooting each of the last three seasons.

If anything, the Jayhawks could attempt to push the pace even more. Just 21.5 percent of KU’s shots last year were in transition, which ranked 148th out of 351 teams.

"It’s pretty high-percentage when you’re throwing it down with your head in the rim," Hoiberg said. "(Bill) does such a good job of putting his guys in positions where they can be successful."

For 11 seasons, that’s meant three things: Self has asked his players to work hard in the paint, to look for open teammates and to use their athleticism when they get the chance.

It’s resulted in KU having a strong offense nearly every year — and the coach continuing an offensive philosophy that made sense to him long ago.

"That’s one thing that we’ve always thought about," Self said. "I don’t think you can shoot a high percentage unless you can get easy baskets."