Question-and-answer sessions with Kansas University coaches Bill Self, Norm Roberts, Tim Jankovich and Ben Miller about the past summer’s recruiting efforts and recruiting in general:

• Q: Where will KU try to find players besides the state of Kansas?

Self: “Kansas has done such a great job out West. Roy (Williams) and his staff did a fabulous job out West. You can just start listing great players from the West. Hopefully we’ll continue that. We’ll branch off and spend a lot of time in Texas and the Midwest as well.”

Roberts: “I saw coaches on the road in July who said, ‘Gosh you went from one great job (Illinois) to another (Kansas)’, conversations like that. They said, ‘We knew at Illinois you’d try to recruit guys from the East coast, and it’s obvious you’ll try it at Kansas (since Roberts is from New York).’

“The bottom line is it doesn’t matter where they are from — East coast, North and South, West. Everywhere for our program. Hopefully there will be some players in the state over the next few years.”

• Q: Did KU’s coaches have any wild travel stories during the 20-day July recruiting period which sent the Jayhawk staff to New Jersey, Indiana, Nevada, Florida, New York and other states?

Jankovich: “It started out badly. The first night I was supposed to get to Newark on the 8th so I’d be up and going (to adidas camp) the first morning. My flight kept getting backed up and up because of weather. They flew me to Cleveland. I spent the night there for no apparent reason, except it was the same time zone (as New Jersey). So it started really poorly.”

Self: “It was hectic. I know I spent a lot of time on the road, all our coaches did. Certainly I know I got my frequent-flier miles.”

Miller: “I flew into Atlanta to go and meet with Norm. In Atlanta, we had to drive to Augusta, Ga., through the worst thunderstorm I’ve ever been in. That was a couple hours of 10-feet visibility. Norm and I were on the edge of our seats. Norm had to trust a guy he hadn’t known very long,” added Miller, who was driving the car.

• Q: Are coaches confident they are signing high-quality individuals as well as students in recruiting?

Self: “The recruiting rules are different now. You used to really get to know the kids you recruited. Now you can call them once a week and there are only (certain) weeks you can call them or see them so many times. You do not know them for the most part like you used to know recruits.

“Kansas over time has recruited really quality guys. Character will win for you. You will not bat 1,000 percent on everybody you recruit. You recruit the best student-athletes possible — ones you want in the program.

“I don’t think you can look at every possible facet of their background. We are not going to have drug testing (of recruits). We will not know everything. You do have academic records. There are some things socially you will not know everything about. Do your job and you will know as much as you can.”

• Q: What about recruiting in Iowa, where KU has landed Raef LaFrentz, Nick Collison and Kirk Hinrich?

Self: “That was a perfect scenario (for KU). At the time, Dr. Tom (Davis, Iowa coach) was on the way out and Iowa State had a coaching change. It was a perfect time to swoop in there and get those two (Collison and Hinrich). It turned out pretty well.”

• Q: Could you comment on recruiting rules for the Kansas high schools? Kansas youngsters typically aren’t allowed to play in as many games as in some other states.

Self: “I can’t comment because I don’t know yet. My father was executive secretary of the Oklahoma High School Athletic Association for numerous years. That is a tough, tough job. For every positive you see from a coaches perspective, they can throw it back from a scholastic perspective that is totally different. I’ve not studied it enough to really comment.”

• Q: Was it tough to get used to wearing the Kansas colors this summer and represent KU after recruiting for Illinois the last couple years?

Roberts: “I think I got used to it right away. The tough thing is when you were answering phones early. You had to think before you said ‘Kansas’ instead of ‘Illinois.'”

Jankovich: “No, it didn’t take long. About the time I buttoned the first button I got used to it. We are all so proud to be here.”

• Q: For Miller, who worked for Roy Williams for 10 years, was it strange recruiting for Kansas this past summer, as part of a new coaching regime?

Miller: “Not too much. I didn’t think about it much. I think everybody is pretty focused on doing your job when you are out there. It was unusual running into coach (Joe) Holladay and coach Williams and being in the same gym with them but on a different staff. It was just a little unusual, I guess I’d say.”

• Q: Is it easier to recruit for Kansas than Illinois?

Jankovich: “To me, it’s not easier or harder. It’s different because at each level you recruit to, there are different factors that come into play. They all have their difficulties. I don’t find it easier or harder to get the person you want. It’s by nature a hard business, incredibly competitive.”