NCAA Tournament committee chair Jim Livengood shocked reporters on a national conference call Sunday when asked why the University of Texas’ men’s basketball team was awarded a No. 1 seed over Kansas University.

“When it gets right down to it,” Livengood said, “the head-to-head certainly with Texas and Kansas (was considered). You know, Texas won.”

Oops …

A Texas reporter informed Livengood that Kansas beat Texas, 90-87, on Jan. 27 in Lawrence.

Livengood paused, then said: “I’m sorry. I was thinking of Oklahoma (falling to Texas twice). I’m sorry about that. Head to head … that’s one measure to evaluate and separate teams out. The hard thing was trying to fit five teams into four spots.”

KU coach Roy Williams wasn’t amused when informed of Livengood’s comments Monday.

“I don’t think a lot of answers they gave were very good,” Williams said on his Hawk Talk radio show. “I didn’t realize Jimmy Livengood had said Texas beat Kansas. I tell you what, if that is true, I’m extremely ticked. For somebody to say that … I can’t fathom how somebody can make that statement.

“I’m gonna check into it. If he did, I’m gonna tell him. I talked to somebody on the committee today. One seed, two seed, it’s a difficult spot. Kansas beat Texas. Texas beat Oklahoma twice. Oklahoma beat Kansas. For somebody in position of responsibility to say that, by God, he better not have said that is all I can say.”

Big 12 Conference tournament champ Oklahoma is the No. 1 seed in the East Region, while Texas is No. 1 in the South.

Big 12 regular-season champ KU is No. 2 in the West.

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Finger not broken: Kansas received good news regarding Aaron Miles’ dislocated right index finger.

“The good news is X-rays showed no fracture, no (bone) chips,” Williams said of the sophomore guard. “His dislocated finger is very stiff now. As time goes along this week it’ll get better. We’ve gotta play Thursday regardless.”

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Frederick on Selection Sunday: Former Kansas athletic director Bob Frederick knows all about the intricacies of the NCAA Tournament selection process.

He chaired the prestigious men’s basketball committee in both 1995 and ’96, facing the glare of the CBS cameras Selection Sunday.

So what did Frederick think of this year’s bracket and the work of the 10-person committee chaired by University of Arizona athletic director Livengood?

“I would only say it’s a really tough job and it’s gotten a lot more difficult with the parity in college basketball,” Frederick said Monday. “I really don’t know the process as well since they added the pod situation.”

Frederick politely declined comment about Kansas’ No. 2 seeding or any general comments about the regionals.

“It’s a very difficult job. There’s so much information (to consider),” Frederick said.

He is happy he had a chance to chair the group. He also served as a committee member from 1992 to ’96.

“It’s the most exciting thing I ever did,” Frederick said.

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Bus ride on tap: Kansas players and coaches have decided to ride the bus to Oklahoma City after practice today instead of flying.

The Jayhawks will leave Allen Fieldhouse at 4 p.m., eat dinner along the way and arrive in Oklahoma City about 9:30 p.m.

“We’ll drive down, watch a couple movies and see if we can get ready to play,” Williams said.

KU will meet Utah State approximately 8:40 p.m. Thursday at Ford Center in OKC. The Jayhawks will practice from 6 to 6:50 p.m. Wednesday at the Center. Practice is open to the public.

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Shooting: The Jayhawks had a 45-minute free-throw shooting practice Monday. Then they watched tape for an hour and 40 minutes.

“We had a nice meeting from my end. I’m not sure they’d say that,” Williams said of his players, who received an earful about mistakes made in the Missouri game.