The NCAA rule that infuriates college basketball coaches the most — the 5-and-8 scholarship rule — is halfway toward being rescinded.

“I think everybody is cautiously optimistic. Everybody is hopeful the rule will be rescinded in full,” KU coach Bill Self said Tuesday, responding to Monday’s news the NCAA Division One Management Council voted unanimously to repeal the rule that limits colleges to five scholarships in one year and eight during a two-year period, even if a school — like KU — is under the NCAA maximum limit of 13 scholarships.

“Coaches understand this was a first necessary step. Still the biggest steps have yet to be taken on the thing. Hopefully it will go as well on the week of the 29th.”

April 29 is when the NCAA Board of Directors, led by KU Chancellor Robert Hemenway, will have the power to repeal the 5-and-8 rule once and for all.

“It’s a rule that all coaches have been 100 percent opposed to since Day One,” Self said. “It has certainly reduced the pool of college student-athletes playing Division One basketball. We as coaches don’t see it as a positive in any way, shape or form. It’s as bad a rule as anybody has tried to enforce.”

The rule was designed, in part, to prevent coaches from “running off” players from their programs. Coaches like Self say the practice of running off players is a myth more than reality.

“It hurts new coaches more than anybody,” Self said of the rule. “If a coach takes over at ‘State University’ and those players have been recruited to play in a certain system and this is how we play and it doesn’t work out, the coach is not running you off. The player and family make the decision that, ‘This is different. We want to go somewhere else.’

“If a school decided to terminate a coach, and the coach had an idea it was coming, he could hurt the school by signing guys. The new coach gets there and says, ‘This doesn’t fit the style,’ but he can’t sign more guys because all the scholarships are taken. Coaches aren’t running guys off. It’s different than 20 years ago. Guys (players) want a quick fix. You’ve got high school guys going to the league now. It wasn’t the case 20 years ago. These are things you have to deal with every day in recruiting.”

Self, who like former KU coach Roy Williams is passionate about eliminating the rule, has chatted with Hemenway about the issue, as has Williams.

“I’ve talked to him about it,” Self said. “I think he’s sympathetic in his position to all parties, and certainly we’ve done what we can do to educate him on why coaches feel so strongly against this particular rule.”

KU, which is three scholarships under the limit of 13, likely won’t sign three players if the rule is rescinded. The late signing period ends May 7.

“I don’t think there’s any way we could,” Self said. “At this late date, the pool (of recruits) is so small. There could be an opportunity to sign one, which we can do the way the rule stands now.

“Maybe there would be an opportunity to open another spot to try to sign somebody at this late juncture. After the vote is taken there will not be that many available players.”

Self said he’s not against what will likely replace the 5-and 8-rule — the setting of a team-graduation rate threshold for triggering a penalty, such as the loss of a scholarship, for schools that fall below a certain graduation standard.

“I think a coach is hired to do several jobs,” Self said. “One is to put our student-athletes in the best position to not only maintain progress, but earn a degree. I don’t feel this would adversely affect a majority of people out there. For a small minority of people that potentially are handling their business improperly there could be serious repercussions (like being kept out of NCAA Tournament). I have no serious problem with ‘incentive/disincentive’ which more than likely will be implemented. I do have a problem with the 5-8.”

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Giles update: Rumors that University Miami signee C.J. Giles of Seattle was granted a release from his national letter of intent on the condition that he only attend the University of Washington are not true.

“We have had no conversations whatsoever about restrictions of any kind,” Miami athletic director Paul Dee told the Miami Herald. “I am still waiting to talk to coach Haith about their meeting.”

New Miami coach Frank Haith met with Giles and his dad, former KU player Chester Giles, on Monday night. At the meeting, C.J. Giles asked Haith for his release. If it’s granted this week, Giles will visit Kansas, his dad told rivals.com.

He’ll also visit Washington and perhaps some other schools.

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Hansbrough meeting: Self today will meet with 6-9 junior Tyler Hansbrough in Poplar Bluff, Mo. Hansbrough is considering Florida, Missouri, Kentucky, North Carolina, Duke and KU.