Kansas University’s men’s basketball team won’t be playing the University of California in this winter’s Feist Shootout in Kemper Arena, after all.

The game against Cal will be delayed until 2005 for the simple reason the Jayhawks and Golden Bears don’t want to meet twice in the same season.

Cal and KU are scheduled to possibly play in the Coaches Vs. Cancer tournament with the possibility the two teams — if they win their first two games — could meet in the semifinals or finals at New York’s Madison Square Garden.

Duke, Syracuse, Cal and KU will host four-team mini-tournaments on their campuses, with the four winners advancing to New York.

KU will open Coaches Vs. Cancer tourney play versus Vermont in the regular-season opener in November in Allen Fieldhouse, provided there is a 16-team tournament.

KU and tournament organizers are awaiting word from Ohio district court for a decision that would allow teams like Kansas to play in exempt events every year.

The way it stands now, colleges can participate in exempt tourneys just once every four years. KU is ticketed to compete in the Maui Invitational in 2005 against a strong field of Arizona, Arkansas, Maryland, Michigan State, UConn, DePaul and Chaminade.

“They (organizers) were expecting a decision by March 15, so it could come at any time,” KU senior associate AD Larry Keating said of the court ruling.

It now appears KU will not play its return game at Michigan State until the 2006-07 season. The two teams are playing in Maui in 2005-06 and wouldn’t want to meet twice in the same year.

Meanwhile, KU’s return game against Chattanooga, originally scheduled for the 2004-05 season, is off for good.

“Part of the contract with Chattanooga was, if the coach left, it was Kansas’ option to discontinue the series,” Keating indicated.

Chattanooga coach Jeff Lebo bolted for Auburn this past offseason, giving KU an out in the contract.

KU coach Bill Self has said he would like to schedule more home games to help the athletic department raise money, rather than play games at mid-majors like Chattanooga.

KU still is looking for opponents for two home games, along with the game at Kemper.

It’s believed the Big 12 and SEC are still involved in talks with ESPN about a possible challenge series between schools in the two leagues.

Some schools reportedly are against the series if games are, as expected, to be played on neutral courts. It is unlikely a Big-12/SEC Challenge could be organized in time for the 2004-05 season.

KU, which would like a presence in New York, could be playing in the Big Apple in each of the next three seasons: the Coaches V. Cancer tourney next year; a return game against St. Joseph’s in 2005-06; and the Preseason NIT in 2006-07.

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Wilkes’ choices: KU freshman Omar Wilkes, who recently announced his decision to transfer, has Stanford, Cal and Washington on his list of prospective schools and plans on making some campus trips once school lets out.

Wilkes, a former Los Angeles Loyola standout, considered UCLA, Cal and Stanford out of high school. His brother, Jordan, a 6-10, 205-pound Loyola senior-to-be, is considering UCLA, Stanford and Washington.

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Recruiting: Self met with Tyler Smith, a 6-foot-7 junior from Pulaski, Tenn., Tuesday. Smith’s dad told Shay Wildeboor of rivals.com his son would likely be visiting KU for Late Night in the Phog on Oct. 15. Self will be in Dallas today to meet with Calvin Miles, a 6-6 junior from Dallas.

C.J. Giles, a 6-10 senior from Seattle, continues to try to gain his release from Miami.

“We were supposed to know something on Monday,” C.J.’s dad, Chester, a former KU player, told theinsiders.com. “It’s up to the athletic director and the coaching staff there.”

Giles will consider KU, Washington, Duke, Arizona and Georgia Tech if he secures his release.

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Camps: The first session of Self’s KU camp (June 13-17) is full. Brochures for the June 20-24 session can be downloaded at kuathletics.com. … Danny Manning’s basketball camp for boys and girls (second through eighth grades) is set for July 26-30 at Sport2Sport. Details are available on basketballcampman.com.