No longer involved directly with basketball, Ted Owens still likes to watch a game or two in person or on TV.

The 73-year-old Owens especially likes watching Kansas, the program he directed to a 348-182 mark as head coach from 1964 to 1983. Owens, who also served three seasons as KU assistant under coach Dick Harp, now works in the capital investment business in Tulsa, Okla.

“I have always said there are effective teams and artistic teams. Last year, they were both,” Owens said of coach Roy Williams’ third Final Four team. “They were effective and beautiful to watch.”

Owens and his son, Ted, Jr., watched Monday’s practice at Allen Fieldhouse, a day after attending a Fifty Years of Kansas basketball celebration banquet benefiting the Jewish Community Center of Kansas City.

“As I sat and watched last year’s team, I thought, ‘I don’t know whether I’ve ever enjoyed a team like that one  a team that played basketball the way it’s meant to be played,'” Owens said of the 33-4 Jayhawks. “They pushed the ball on offense, pressured the ball on defense. Roy did a magnificent job with that team as he always does. I think they’ll be terrific again this year.”

So does ex-Jayhawk assistant Jerry Green, who scouted the past two practices for his long-time buddy and former boss, Williams.

“The big thing is KU has got players who can play with any players in the country and have got some young kids who can come on and hopefully give them some depth,” Green said.

He agrees with analysts who say the starting five of Kirk Hinrich, Nick Collison, Wayne Simien, Keith Langford and Aaron Miles is one of the best in the U.S. Depth with unproven players like Bryant Nash, Jeff Hawkins, Jeff Graves, Moulaye Niang and Michael Lee has been a preseason concern.

“It appears to be a different team that he’s had and probably one that has some playing time to be gained down the line from the six to 10 positions,” said Green, who coached on Williams’ KU staff from 1989 to ’92 and was head coach at both Oregon and Tennessee before being replaced at UT two seasons ago.

He’s lived in Surf City, N.C., basically “playing golf, fishing, boating and piddling” since departing Knoxville.

“Kansas has some young kids. The opportunity to play certainly appears to be there,” Green said. “You can’t play five or even six people the entire time. They have some kids who will be needed. He (Williams) certainly has a different challenge maybe than when we went to the ’91 final game. We were very solid and deep. Our second team didn’t fall off much from what we started.”

He loves Hinrich and the 6-foot-9 Collison, who have been impressive this preseason.

“I think Hinrich certainly looks like a lottery pick and Collison will be very, very good,” Green said. “The thing I like about him (Collison) even more this year than ever is he can shoot the ball from the perimeter, which is a big strength for somebody his size.

“Not that I’d want him out there shooting it, but he certainly has a fine touch out there. He does everything well and there’s a lot of (NBA) people who will like him this year.”

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Olson makes final cut: Perseverance has paid for Brett Olson, a 6-6 senior forward from Chanute, who has made KU’s team via walk-on tryouts. Olson  he averaged 26 points a game his senior year in earning all-state honors at Chanute High  tried out his sophomore year and again this season. Two players who’d been practicing with the Jayhawks the past week  Tim Alexander, 6-9 from Wichita and Ryan Woodman, 6-11 from Andover, didn’t make the squad.

“I didn’t sleep much the past week. I was pretty nervous. I think I drove my girlfriend crazy,” Olson said. “I’m excited but it’s bittersweet because I like Tim and Ryan, too. I’m excited about getting this opportunity.”

Alexander says he has no regrets. After all, he and Woodman survived the cut from 55 to 18 down to the final three. He was able to practice with one of the top teams in the country for a week.

“It’s disappointing but I couldn’t ask for much more than a shot with such a great program,” Alexander said. “Practices were tough and very demanding, at the same time I’d take time to think about what a great opportunity it was. Coach Williams gave it straight to us. He appreciated us working hard for him.”

Woodman, a junior who played at Washburn last year, would not have been able to play in games this season in accordance with transfer rules. He can try out again next year if he so desires. Alexander will graduate in May, so “it looks my basketball career is over.”

Of Olson, Alexander said: “He plays real strong. He’s a physical guy. I think he’ll be able to give them some good looks in practice and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him come in a game.”

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Elbow wrap: KU junior Jeff Graves practiced full-go Monday with his left arm wrapped. He hyperextended his elbow at Sunday’s practice but shouldn’t miss any practice time.

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Manning unsigned: Detroit Pistons officials this week said they considered the possibility of inviting ex-Jayhawk Danny Manning to join the team for a veteran presence. But Pistons’ officials said they never officially talked to Manning’s representatives. Manning is continuing to practice with KU’s team with the hopes of being picked up by an NBA team sometime this season.