Everybody loves a winner … or so the saying goes.

“It’s crazy,” Kansas University director of media relations Mitch Germann said Monday from his office at Allen Fieldhouse. Germann fielded dozens of media and entertainment interview requests for Final Four-bound coach Roy Williams and his KU players from 9 a.m. until after 5 p.m.

“I’ll be on the phone for less than five minutes and after I get off there are two messages on voice mail,” Germann said.

Williams approved interviews with Fox’s “Best Damn Sports Show Period,” ESPN’s “Pardon the Interruption” and a one-on-one with CBS Sports for today — an interview with Jim Rome’s radio show is set for Wednesday.

An interesting request is contingent on KU beating Marquette Saturday and either Syracuse or Texas Monday night.

“The producer of ‘The Tonight Show’ called,” Germann said of Jay Leno’s late-night talk show. “They want to know if coach and the players can come out to Los Angeles if we win it all.”

Germann re-directed the call to KU associate athletic director/senior women’s administrator Janelle Martin, to see what the NCAA has to say about network shows paying for players’ flights to Los Angeles, where the Leno show is taped.

Turns out it is not against NCAA rules.

“The producer told me that’s what they do for all guests. If it is done for everyone it is not an extra benefit,” Martin said.

Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night show on ABC called an hour after Leno’s people, also wanting the Jayhawks if they win it all. Then, Craig Kilborn’s late-night CBS show called.

And finally, after Germann left his office, David Letterman’s producer called to ask about the Jayhawks’ availability, leaving a message on voice mail.

“We had to turn down radio requests from Portland, California, Atlanta, Iowa and other places,” Germann said.

The Jayhawks will fly out of Topeka’s Forbes Field at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday. The Jayhawks, who held a short shooting practice Monday, will hold an open practice at 2:10 p.m. Friday at the Superdome with tip for the KU-Marquette game at 5:07 p.m. Saturday.

¢

Poignant interview: CNN set up a live interview with KU assistant coach Joe Holladay and his son, Matt, a U.S. Army paratrooper serving his country in Iraq. The interview is supposed to take place live at 8:40 a.m. Wednesday on CNN. Holladay will be on camera from Lawrence; his son live from somewhere in Iraq. Holladay has not spoken to his son since the outbreak of war.

¢

Injuries: KU junior Bryant Nash, who sprained his right wrist against Duke, had the wrist X-rayed Monday. There are no broken bones and he will practice and play with the wrist taped. Meanwhile, Wayne Simien, who had right shoulder surgery last week in New York, should be able to make the trip to New Orleans with his arm in a sling.

“Besides surgery, Wayne said it was a wonderful experience,” trainer Mark Cairns said. “He had a private room (at Hospital for Special Surgery) that looked over the East River. He said it was an experience being on pain medicine and watching the boats go by.”

Simien should be out of action about four months.

¢

Padgett healing: David Padgett, KU’s 6-foot-11, 235-pound signee from Reno, Nev., who suffered a patellar tendon strain in his right knee in mid-February, was cleared Monday to begin non-contact workouts.

The injury, which did not require surgery, kept Padgett from playing in last week’s McDonald’s All America game and Monday’s EA Sports All-Star game at Chicago’s United Center.

“What we’re hoping is by the time he comes to Lawrence for summer school, he’ll be 100 percent,” said Padgett’s dad, Pete.

David Padgett will head to New Orleans to watch KU play in the Final Four, but won’t arrive until Saturday night.

“Hopefully all will go well and he can see the championship game Monday,” Pete said.