Anaheim, Calif. ? A brisk hike down Jayhawk Boulevard turned into quite a workout for Omar Wilkes the other day.

“Whew, walking to class my nose was running and my eyes were (tearing) down into my face. It’s definitely the coldest I’ve ever been,” recalled Wilkes, a self-proclaimed “California boy” not yet used to December weather in the Midwest.

“I turn the heater in the room to about 85 (degrees), layer up and stay indoors as much as possible,” he added of the “Wilkes Guide to Keeping Warm” — a guide that won’t need to be consulted this weekend.

Wilkes and the rest of his Kansas University basketball teammates are in balmy California for today’s John R. Wooden Classic contest against Stanford. Tipoff for the game between two 3-0 teams is 3 p.m. at Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim.

“Ah, the beach,” Wilkes, a 6-foot-4 Los Angeles Loyola High graduate, said about what he has missed the most about the L.A. area, “and being able to go to class in shorts and flip-flops.”

He was quick to verbalize his warm feelings about Los Angeles in a recent class project.

“I had to write about an image. I picked Sunset Boulevard in L.A. where there’s palm trees and sun,” Wilkes said. “I got a little sad for a second thinking about it, but it didn’t last long. I’m loving it at KU.”

He chose Kansas over Stanford, UCLA and some other West Coast schools last year. He averaged 18 points off 55 percent shooting for Loyola.

“Stanford was at the top of my list for a while,” Wilkes said. “I’m sure I was high on their list, too. One of my best friends I’ve grown up with since kindergarten, Fred Washington, is a freshman for Stanford.

UCLA basketball coach Ben Howland, center, responds to a question as fellow coaches, from left, Mike Montgomery, Stanford; Bill Self, Kansas University; Tubby Smith, Kentucky; and legendary former UCLA coach John R. Wooden listen during a news conference. The coaches were on hand Friday in Anaheim, Calif., to promote the 10th annual John R. Wooden Classic, in which their teams are competing today.

“Playing against him will be different because we’ve been playing on the same team up until high school, and now we’re both on two major Division One college teams. He called me last week, a little friendly trash talk.”

Wilkes, who has logged two minutes total in KU’s first three games as he makes the adjustment to college ball, has played at The Pond before.

“We won two division titles there my junior and senior year. I’m undefeated at The Pond,” Wilkes said. “It’s the biggest venue (19,000 seats) I’ve ever played at, state-of-the-art. It’s a hard place to shoot in, but if you are a shooter, you can get adjusted.”

Wilkes admits it’s been an adjustment sitting on the bench, but he felt he has reacted well to his new role.

“I am just improving each day, busting my butt at practice,” Wilkes said. “I’ll let playing time be decided by coach (Bill) Self. I’ll keep playing my hardest. It’ll all fall in place. I am enjoying myself. I love the guys, the coaching staff, Lawrence, the team, the organization. And I’m so grateful to get to go back home.”

His coach isn’t giving up on him.

“Omar has not played much. He will be a player in time,” Self said. “I wish Omar was more of a point (so he could sub for Aaron Miles). Right now he’s more of a wing. He needs to get physically stronger. Omar is probably a little behind the other guys now, the way we see it. It doesn’t mean it has to stay that way.”

Self will allow Wilkes and the rest of the Jayhawks to have some free time tonight after the game. The Jayhawks return on a commercial flight Sunday.

“I will try to show ’em a good time,” Wilkes said. “You’ve got to go to Newport Beach or Malibu Beach. Newport Beach is closest to Anaheim. Go to Malibu Beach to see celebrities and the quote-unquote ‘beautiful people.'”

He wants to see a lot of his family — including dad, Jamaal, a former NBA standout.

“My brother has a game and I’d like to see him play,” he said of Jordan Wilkes, a 6-9 junior at Loyola. “I don’t know if I can sneak away to get home. I miss Mom’s cooking. Mom is a fan of yams. She makes a good Jerk Chicken. She’s Jamaican, so she’s into spicy foods.

“She has some good dishes that I love, and you can’t get them any where else but home.”