Kansas may produce college basketball’s Wooden Award winner and college football’s Heisman Trophy winner in the same year.

“That makes me smile. Kansas is putting ’em out!” said Kansas University senior Wayne Simien, a Leavenworth native who is a leading candidate for hoops player-of-the-year honors. His childhood buddy, Kansas State running back Darren Sproles, likely will be considered for football’s highest individual honor.

“You have two or three million people in the whole state, but we can put ’em out.”

Sproles, like Simien a senior, hails from Olathe.

“Darren used to be point guard on my summer-league team when I was 10,” Simien said. “We are pretty good friends. I’m excited for him. I hope he does well — except when they play KU. It’s nice to see him have success.”

Simien vividly recalls playing basketball with Sproles, who is about nine inches shorter than KU’s power forward.

“I couldn’t keep up with him. On the court he’s fast,” Simien said.

Simien and his teammates started practice Thursday for KU’s upcoming four-game exhibition swing in Canada. The senior proclaims himself fully recovered from last year’s groin strain.

“Yes sir,” Simien said, asked if he was 100 percent. “I knew in July when I went to Nike camp. I played well up there and felt good. I just got back from Jordan camp in Santa Barbara (Calif.). I felt great out there, ready to go.”

Simien said he planned to practice hard in the coming weeks.

“I don’t plan on taking it easy,” he said. “It’s a long season from August to April, but we’ll try to take advantage of these valuable 10 days and make the most of it.”

Simien, who said he wanted to savor every moment of his senior year, joked with reporters Thursday. He was asked tongue-in-cheek if he would turn pro after this season.

“I don’t know. We’ll talk to coach (Mark) Mangino about maybe being a fifth-year tight end,” said Simien, who was asked hundreds of times his junior year whether he would leave KU after three years for the NBA. “I’m excited to not answer that question anymore. I’m just excited to be back and ready to go.

“It set in today it’s my last year. They did a little class introduction. I said, ‘Wayne Simien, I’m a senior and graduate in May.’ It makes me smile every time.

“I’m excited to do that (graduate) but in no rush to end my career on the court as much as I am ready to get out of the classroom.”