Looking a lot like former Kansas University bombers Billy Thomas, Jeff Boschee and Terry Brown, Jarryd Knight swished three-pointer after three-pointer Friday night at Allen Fieldhouse.

Knight, a 6-foot-2 junior point guard/shooting guard who led his Cypress Community Christian School to a Texas Class 3A high school state championship in March, easily scored more than half his team’s points in the Houston Hardballers’ 58-34 victory over North Colorado Thunder in first-round action at the Jayhawk Invitational.

“I work on it every day. I shoot it (three-point shot) every day,” said Knight, who proved equally adept at driving for layups.

“It’s not like I came here and just decided to (shoot threes). You saw me come off screens and take it inside, also. I’m ranked as a combo guard. I like to think I can shoot it and handle it,” said Knight, who is emerging as a late-blooming major-college prospect.

Kansas University coach Bill Self has expressed interest along with Illinois, Tulsa, Rice, Wichita State, Liberty and Stephen F. Austin.

“Coach Self called my coach this week to see if we were still coming to this tournament,” said Knight. “It was exciting to hear that. It made me want to show what I can do.

“My dream is to play at any Divison One school.”

If Knight keeps scoring at the rate he did Friday — the Hardballers play at 9 a.m. today at Horejsi Center and 2 p.m. at Allen Fieldhouse — it’s likely he’ll wind up at a high D-I power.

No college coaches are allowed to watch this weekend’s tournament — it’s a dead period in recruiting and the state of Kansas doesn’t sanction such events.

“I think we can win,” Knight said. “I think we have a good enough team.”

The tournament will run from 9 a.m. until about 9 p.m. today at Allen Fieldhouse and Horejsi Center. Semifinals are 11:30 a.m. Sunday at Allen Fieldhouse with finals at 2 p.m. at the fieldhouse.

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Self busy: Self has been on the go since taking over for Roy Williams on April 21.

In the last week and a half, Self not only made successful re-recruiting trips to the homes of Roy Williams-KU signees Omar Wilkes (Los Angeles), David Padgett (Reno, Nev.), Jeremy Case (McAlester, Okla.) and J.R. Giddens (Oklahoma City), but also ventured to various locates while pursuing players in the recruiting class of 2004.

“It’s been wild. It’s been a wild ride. I hope it’ll calm down soon,” Self said Friday — two days after visiting 6-8, 220-pound Bremerton (Wash.) High senior Marvin Williams on the last day of the current recruiting evaluation period.

Self can’t comment on that visit in accordance with NCAA rules.

“The meeting with coach Self went really well,” Bremerton High coach Casey Lindberg told Shay Wildeboor of rivals.com. “We were happy to finally meet coach Self and he seems like a normal, genuine guy.”

Marvin Williams has a final list of KU, Arizona, North Carolina, Duke, Oregon and Washington.

Last week in Oklahoma, Self visited Darnell Jackson, a 6-9, 235-power forward from OKC’s Northwest Classen High.

Jackson, who has made several unofficial trips to Kansas, is also considering Oklahoma, New Mexico and Purdue.

“Coach Self came to my school a week ago and we really had a good conversation,” Jackson said.

“I really love coach Self and the Kansas program. My mom feels the exact same way about coach Self and the rest of the staff.”

While at the Kingswood Classic AAU tournament in Houston last weekend, Self reportedly scouted Alexander Kaun, a 6-10, 240-pound junior from Florida Air Academy.

A native of Russia, Kaun is considering KU, North Carolina, Duke, Florida, Georgetown, Louisville, Michigan and others.

Another player on the radar screen is Kalen Grimes, a 6-8, 265-pound junior from Florissant, Mo., who last week was visited by Jayhawk assistant Norm Roberts.

Grimes is considering Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Arkansas, Iowa and Kentucky.

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No comment on Villaneuva: There still remains a chance KU could add a player for next season.

The Jayhawks, who have signed four players, are reportedly still in the running for Charlie Villaneuva, a 6-9 senior from Brooklyn, N.Y., who is considering heading straight from Blair Academy in New Jersey to the NBA.

Villaneuva orally committed to Self’s University of Illinois program last November, but did not sign a letter of intent. He said this week he was still considering Illinois, Kansas, UConn, Indiana, UCLA and the NBA.

“An Illinois radio station asked me about that today,” Self said Friday. “But I can’t even say. It’s so unique. I don’t know. I can’t comment.”

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Latimore to Notre Dame: Former Halstead High standout Dennis Latimore, who played basketball at the University of Arizona the past two seasons, has announced plans to transfer to Notre Dame.

The 6-8, 238-pound Latimore chose the Irish over Wichita State, Iowa State, Minnesota and Oklahoma. Latimore’s brother, Denver, plays football at KU.