Just 13 NCAA Division One men’s college basketball teams remain undefeated at this stage of the 2004-05 season.

Three of those squads hail from the Sunflower State.

“I hadn’t thought of that. I knew all were having great years so far. I think it’s awesome,” Kansas University coach Bill Self said.

His Jayhawks are off to an 8-0 start, while Kansas State is 8-0 and Wichita State 7-0.

K-State is off to its best start since the Wildcats won nine straight to open the 1997-98 season. This is Kansas State’s second 8-0 start in 24 years.

“I’m happy for K-State. I’m happy when anybody in our league does well,” Self said. “I think Jim (Wooldridge, KSU coach) scheduled very smart. Now they’ve got confidence, and now they are playing very well. It was a smart move.”

The ‘Cats have defeated North Dakota State, Denver, Washington State, Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Oakland, UT-San Antonio and Northern Illinois at home and won at Wyoming.

The Wildcats’ remaining three nonconference games are against Rutgers, Eastern Illinois and Central Missouri State before their Big 12 opener Jan. 8 at Nebraska.

Wichita State, which is coached by former KU guard Mark Turgeon, has defeated Eastern Washington, San Francisco and Texas-San Antonio at home and won at Austin Peay, Drake, Providence and Tulsa. A home victory Tuesday against UMKC would give the Shockers their best start since 1981-82. That and a victory over Evansville on New Year’s Eve would give the Shocks their best start since 1920-21.

“I’m certainly happy for ‘Turg,'” Self said. “He’s got them off to a great start.”

Most teams with ties to Self are faring well. Oral Roberts, where Self used to be head coach, won eight straight to open the season before dropping two games at the Rainbow Classic in Hawaii.

Illinois, Self’s last stop as head coach, is 11-0. Oklahoma State, where Self was a player and an assistant coach, is 9-0.

Tulsa, however, where Self coached 1997-2000, is another story.

“Tulsa is my only team that’s lost a game so far,” Self said of the Golden Hurricane.

Coach John Phillips resigned Saturday after Tulsa’s slow 2-5 start.

The country’s only other undefeated teams are: Hawaii (8-0), Hofstra (8-0), Cincinnati (9-0), Boston College (9-0), Pittsburgh (9-0), West Virginia (8-0) and Texas A&M (9-0).

“My guy down at A&M is undefeated, too,” Self said of good friend and former assistant Billy Gillispie. “Our league has done very well.”

The Big 12 Conference has four undefeated teams, best of any conference, topping the Big East (Boston College, Pitt, West Virginia) by one.

“We still need to have some big nonconference wins,” Self noted of the Big 12. “We can certainly help that cause on Jan. 1.”

That’s when KU meets Georgia Tech in a 1:30 p.m. tipoff at Allen Fieldhouse. Georgia Tech (8-1) will play host to Lafayette on Tuesday.

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Shocks in yellow: Wichita State wore yellow uniforms in last week’s victory over Texas-San Antonio. It’s the first time the Shockers have worn yellow in the Turgeon era. They are similar to ones worn in the 1995-96 season.

“I love ’em,” WSU guard Randy Burns told the Wichita Eagle. “I couldn’t wait to put them on.”

Of the team’s fast start, Burns told the paper: “We’ve got to keep this on a roll. This could be a special year for us.”

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Clinic coming: KU’s basketball players will hold their annual holiday clinic for boys and girls grades 3-8 from 9:45 a.m. until 12:45 p.m. Wednesday at Allen Fieldhouse. The clinic includes two hours of instruction from 9:45 until 11:45 and an hour-long autograph session. Signup starts at 9 a.m. on the south end of the fieldhouse. Details are available on kuathletics.com.