Label me a pessimist, but I’m convinced the 2003-04 Kansas University basketball team will have to bat 4-0 — no, make that 6-0 — in the injury-recovery department to make major waves.

If everyone can function in relatively top shape from start to finish, the Jayhawks could win another league title and again get as far as the Final Four. If the medical staff is forced to perform many miracles, the year could be a painful one.

Texas, Missouri and Colorado have fine collections of material. Never sell the resourceful Kelvin Sampson short at Oklahoma. Kansas will need all it can muster to stay ahead of those clubs. Eddie Sutton at Oklahoma State has a way of ambushing the careless.

In the Big 12 North, Kansas, Colorado and Missouri should wage a hellacious battle. KU has to play them twice, the southern bandits only once.

It all starts with 6-foot-8 KU junior Wayne Simien and his surgically-repaired shoulder. Given all his normal physical faculties to combine with his great attitude, Wayne has the wherewithal to perform in the same category with a Nick Collison or Raef LaFrentz. In good health, he can bang and clang like Collison and function with the finesse of LaFrentz.

But shoulders, particularly ones which have been operated on twice, the case with Simien, can hinder or even terminate careers. It’s a tricky hinge, ball-and-socket combination that has to be near-perfect to allow full function and absence of pain. Sometimes a more muscular guy like Wayne can recoup, other times that “strength” can be detrimental.

Some medics have told me that aneurysms and kidney stones are as painful as any problems a patient can encounter. Yet others have said that when a shoulder goes bad, few realize just how much “ouch” there can be. When you saw Simien, a tough kid with a strong constitution, grimacing in pain last season, he REALLY was hurting.

The guy who did the latest repair job on Simien in New York is the same one who got Money Bags Chris Webber of Sacramento’s Kings back in peak shape. The former Wooferine came back and had a great season until a knee fouled up. May KU’s Simien’s shoulder perform as well for the rest of his life — which could be pretty prosperous if he can get to the NBA and continue in the same vein he’ll perform for Kansas — with no new injuries of note.

Evidence is that newcomer J.R. Giddens will be able to do what’s needed to wipe out that stress fracture in his foot. Kansas must have all he can give to be really good.

Several people very conversant with big league basketball have told me that Giddens “is not a typical Kansas guy,” meaning he’s a cut above a number of kids Roy Williams previously recruited. These folks have watched all the surprising things J.R. can do and think he’ll be on a par with some of the most talented and spectacular players you can name.

Imagine being able to work the inventive, unpredictable Keith Langford into a fabric with Giddens at his anticipated best. One could work a while at shooting guard, the other at the No. 3 spot, then they could interchange. I’d guess a point guard like Aaron Mills licks his chops at the assists he could deal out.

If Simien is at his best and senior Jeff Graves picks up where he left off last season, they’ll start. Then there is freshman David Padgett. He’s another guy you have to watch for injuries. The 6-10 Padgett had knee trouble in high school last year and has gone through rehab. Word is he’s really come around, and if that’s true, Kansas could unfurl an awesome three-man wallop in the paint.

Let’s just hope none of the guys gets hare-lipped in one of those fierce pickup games. But you can’t put them in a cell and tell them not to. They’ll find a way to play.

OK, Simien, Giddens and Padgett need to be sound and stay that way. Now Michael Lee needs to overcome a knee problem that he got last spring playing shinny with the guys.

Langford had ankle problems last year and needs to be at his best, which is tremendous. And senior Bryant Nash had surgery for a thumb and wrist condition in the spring and could have a great finale as a Jayhawk.

But it’s gotta be 6-0 with just the guys we know are iffy — Simien, Giddens, Padgett, Lee, Langford and Nash. Lord forbid that anyone else gets drydocked.

Get ’em all together at their best and they can measure up to anyone. Take out one key guy like Simien and the promise drops off — with Mizzou and Colorado ready to swoop in and capitalize.

• Have you ever noticed how fast things can change when there is a change of ownership in a business? The new suits will declare something like: “We are inheriting a good group of people and there’ll be no major personnel moves.” Six months down the line there are a lot of former employees disguised as empty seats at the meetings. Or the new crew will have brought in a batch of college chums and such.

There’s a new commandant of the Kansas athletic department. Director Lew Perkins has indicated he’ll assess the situation and act accordingly. Already he’s imported Jim Marchiony for “external affairs.” Just before that, Janelle Martin, an associate AD with a fine record as a compliance expert, said she’s heading in another direction. It’ll be interesting to see what other changes might occur, and how soon.

Perkins needs to assess carefully the people he has on that staff up there because most of them are able, dedicated and loyal people with a terrific record of service and achievement. Predecessor Al Bohl leaped in, never bothered to learn the territory and orchestrated a train wreck. Hope Lew Perkins has a far better feel for the good people he has on hand and takes advantage of their potential rather than routinely throwing out good babies with the bath water.