One prominent point guard’s name is hard to find when paging through preseason college basketball publications.

That underpublicized floor general is Kansas University junior Aaron Miles, who is not angry he’s being ignored despite the fact he led KU to two consecutive Final Fours.

“I do not look at it like, ‘Why am I not in this (magazine)?'” Miles said. “I know why I’m not in it. Would I like to be? Yes. But I feel I’ve got to earn it. Last year I didn’t even impress myself with anything.”

The 6-foot-1, 175-pound Portland, Ore., native — he was ignored by Big 12 coaches in last week’s preseason all-conference team voting — gives himself average grades for a sophomore season in which he dished 244 assists against 123 turnovers and compiled a Big 12-best 91 steals.

“How can I impress myself?” Miles said. “Knock down more open shots, have fewer turnovers and win a national championship. That’s the biggest one.”

The biggest knock on Miles is his scoring punch — or lack thereof — through two seasons. A year ago, he averaged 8.9 points a game off 40.8 percent shooting.

He made 24 of 98 threes for 24.5 percent. Hoping to improve on those figures, he worked on his shot a lot last summer.

“It wasn’t necessarily how many shots a day I took. I did get a lot of shots up, but the big thing was making sure it felt good,” Miles said. “If you shoot a lot of shots and the ball doesn’t feel good coming out of your hands, it does you no good. The shots I took felt good.”

Miles, who didn’t change his mechanics at all, believes hard work in the gym will pay off and his shots will drop his junior campaign.

“I think at times the biggest part of me not shooting well was not being ready to shoot,” Miles said. “If you stand around, get the ball and are not ready to shoot, you will not make it. You’ve got to be ready. A lot of times I was the fifth option.”

Miles’ teammates appreciate the fact he’s a pass-first-shoot-second point guard, who enters his junior year ranked seventh in KU history in assists (496). If he stays healthy, Miles is on track to pass Kevin Pritchard (499), Adonis Jordan (568), Darnell Valentine (609), Kirk Hinrich (668) and Cedric Hunter (684) this season and perhaps overtake all-time KU assist leader Jacque Vaughn (804) next year.

“You see point guards that think they have to score as many points as the next guy — 20, 25 a game,” KU junior guard Keith Langford said. “Aaron is one of the few point guards left looking to set up his teammates first. So many guards look to score first. He doesn’t look to score first.

“In coach (Roy) Williams’ system, he had to learn everybody’s position, where everybody has to go. He had to set up everybody.”

Miles realizes the importance of feeding big men like Wayne Simien for easy hoops.

“He is a fantastic point guard. The best passing point guard in the country, hands down,” Simien, a junior power forward, said.

Miles is the one player KU coach Bill Self will be counting on at all times. KU’s first-year coach says he trusts his point guard with all aspects of his program.

“I think the point guard needs to be an extension of the head coach,” Self said. “That’s what I want Aaron to become. I want him to think like me and I want to be able to think like him. I want to be able to read his body language and know if anything is bothering him.

“If Aaron cares as much as I think he cares, he will handle problems before they become problems. He will address things before they even get to me. I want that type of relationship.”

So far Self likes what he’s seen of Miles.

“Aaron has taken responsibility for everything that is going on,” Self said.

Miles said he would embrace a leadership role this season after learning from Kirk Hinrich and Nick Collison the past two campaigns.

“They showed leadership on and off the court,” Miles said. “That’s what I’m trying to do.”

Third-year KU players Simien, Langford, Miles and Michael Lee showed leadership last spring when Williams decided to leave for North Carolina after 15 years in Lawrence.

“When all this stuff happened with coach Williams, we did it collectively — keeping everybody around, motivating incoming freshmen to stay,” Miles said. “I think it was the first time somebody had to become a leader. Something had to be done.”

Simien believes something has to be done about his buddy Miles receiving some accolades nationally for KU’s winning ways.

“I am biased. He is my teammate, but I feel he doesn’t get enough credit,” Simien said. “He’s been to two Final Fours. He’s the voice of our team.”