OKLAHOMA CITY ? Justin Nydegger, Matt Douglas and Ian Devlin intend to travel in style to Kansas University’s next stop on the road to the Final Four.

It’s just that they’re not sure if their 1975 Toyota Chinook camperwagon — Jayhawk on the hood, duct tape on the windows and blue shag carpet in the back — can handle the 26-hour trek to southern California.

“It’s a mouse on wheels,” said Nydegger, a KU junior who helped buy the 4-cylinder roadster four months ago for $525.

“A lawnmower engine,” Douglas said.

And the constant roadblock: “We need some funds,” Devlin said.

Well, at least the Jayhawks did their part Saturday night, driving into the NCAA Tournament’s Sweet 16 with a 108-76 victory over Arizona State at Ford Center in Oklahoma City.

KU moves on to face Duke on Thursday at The Pond in Anaheim, Calif. The Jayhawks intend to take a charter flight Tuesday, and will stay at the Hyatt Regency in Anaheim.

The team was expected to return to Lawrence early today from Oklahoma City.

The road-tripping trio from Lawrence hope to join them in time for the game in California, and they figure to have taken care of the hard part: Having already secured three of KU’s 550 tickets for Oklahoma City, the friends are in line for some of the 1,250 tickets allotted for the regionals.

But that’s the least of Douglas’ worries.

Shower time

As the Jayhawks score 100 points Kansas University fans Deanne Gound, Leawood, and her nieces Madison Moser, 11, and Lauren Moser, 14, celebrate. KU defeated Arizona State Saturday night in Oklahoma City and advanced to the Sweet 16 next Thursday in Anaheim, Calif.

The Chinook — after sitting idle for eight years in Chris Edmondson’s driveway — isn’t exactly the most reliable vehicle on the road, even now that it runs on replacement belts, spark plugs, tires and a carburetor.

It’s that they’ve already blown most of their coin on the trimmings: Wal-Mart fabric for the crimson-and-blue upholstery for the interior, and the Rice Krispies Treats, Cheez-Its and two Natural Lights in the fridge.

Then there’s the gasoline, beer and other essentials — like spray air freshener.

“We’ll need about $400,” Douglas said. “We try to get a hotel one night a week, so we can take a shower.”

Another Lawrence contingent that drove to Oklahoma City won’t be joining them — not after this last trip.

Sure, KU students Matt Mandy, Ben Wells, Grant Van Blaricum and Colby Vick made it to the Ford Center after a ski trip to Winter Park. But it wasn’t easy.

First came the blizzard, which pinned them in Denver for two days. Then there was the accident, when Wells’ 1998 Dodge Durango spun on Interstate 70 and careened into a passing semi-tractor trailer.

The rental car? A Dodge caravan, but they couldn’t get that until they volunteered to shovel a 30-yard-long path out of the Enterprise Rent-A-Car garage.

Survivor: Oklahoma City

“We had a trip from hell, but we made it — two minutes and 12 seconds before the first game Thursday,” Mandy said. “We survived.”

Barely. Wells ended up battling through a flu-like illness all day Friday, leaving him with just enough strength to make it to the arena for Saturday night’s game.

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He’s not going back for more, not this tournament. The group of friends will be satisfied to watch the Jayhawks from the sidelines, in front of the TV.

“We’ve been through enough already,” Wells said.

That attitude simply won’t do for the other guys from Lawrence. Nydegger, Douglas and Devlin aren’t about to lose faith, and only part of that’s because they’re already so heavily invested in the Jayhawks’ future.

Seats at the Final Four in New Orleans: $500 each on eBay.

“We’re going to New Orleans no matter what,” Nydegger said.

Cautioned Douglas: “If we can get there.”