On a scale of 1 to 10, Bill Self rates Kansas University’s upcoming men’s basketball schedule a 9.

“Everybody who has seen our schedule has said, ‘Wow,'” Self, KU’s second-year coach, said of the 2004-05 slate. “Based on how the teams finished last year, there are very few teams in America, if any, that will play a harder schedule.”

The slate includes games against 10 NCAA Tournament teams, including Final Four squads Georgia Tech and Oklahoma State, plus Nevada (Sweet 16) and Saint Joseph’s (Elite Eight).

The Jayhawks will play road nonconference games against Kentucky and Villanova to go with home contests versus Vermont, Saint Joe’s, Nevada, Pacific, TCU, South Carolina and Georgia Tech.

KU will meet Wisconsin-Milwaukee on Dec. 22 in Kemper Arena in Kansas City, Mo., and will schedule one more home game — likely to be played Dec. 11 — against a mid-major school.

The Jayhawks will open with 10 straight home games counting the Kemper game — which is on the season-ticket package — and won’t hit the road until Jan. 9 at Kentucky.

The last time KU took as long to play a road game was the 1954-55 season.

“I don’t like that. I don’t think it’s great. In a perfect world we’d have a road game in November or December,” Self said. “Originally, we were in Coaches Vs. Cancer in November, but were not eligible because the courts still haven’t ruled (on 2-and-4 rule for exempt games).

“Also, when CBS told us they were putting the Villanova and Kentucky games on national TV — which is now playing out that the Villanova game is on ESPN — I thought it was worth the exposure.”

When Self learned ESPN would air the Villanova game, “we tried hard to move that game to December, but it was too late to work out a date with Villanova.”

KU will play two ESPN Big Monday games on the road (Texas Tech and Oklahoma) and one at home (Missouri) one year after playing three of four Big Monday games on the road. The Oklahoma State and Texas games also will be nationally televised.

2003-04 Men’s Basketball Schedule

“That’s fine. At least we’re getting plenty of exposure,” Self said. “Hopefully, it’ll balance out in our favor where we get more home (Big Monday) games in the future.”

The Jayhawks will complete the regular season on March 6 at Missouri — the fourth straight year KU’s season-ending matchup is in Columbia, Mo.

“We know we’ve got to play home and away both, so I don’t worry too much about the dates on situations like that,” Self said. “But it is unique that you’d finish the season at Missouri for the last four years.”

KU requested and was granted a home date March 2 against Kansas State to mark the 50th anniversary of the first game played in Allen Fieldhouse. The Jayhawks opened the building against the Wildcats on March 1, 1955.

“Hopefully, the fans who attended the games for all those years will have extra sense of pride when that game is being played,” Self said.

• This that: KU is scheduled to have 16 regular-season games in Allen Fieldhouse, its most since playing 16 in 2002-03. … St. Joe’s finished 30-2 a year ago. … NCAA Tournament teams on the schedule are Georgia Tech, St. Joe’s, Vermont, Nevada, Kentucky, Pacific, South Carolina, Oklahoma State, Texas and Texas Tech. … The game against K-State could include lots of festivities including the retiring of jerseys of Darnell Valentine, Walt Wesley, Bill Bridges, Dave Robisch and Bud Stallworth. The Jayhawks will retire those jerseys in games this season, athletic director Lew Perkins approving the request last April. Longtime booster Bernie Morgan of Prairie Village lobbied strongly to honor those former Jayhawks, touting them as “The Fabulous Forgotten Five.” KU also will unveil a logo commemorating the 50th season in Allen Fieldhouse.