Bill Self doesn’t plan to boycott Big Macs just because his three Kansas University basketball signees were snubbed by the McDonald’s All-America selection committee.

“The thing about the McDonald’s game … people make such a big deal out of it. Who cares?” Self, KU’s head coach, said Thursday about high schoolers Russell Robinson, Sasha Kaun and Darnell Jackson not being named to the 24-man East-West McDonald’s game, set for March 31 at Ford Center in Oklahoma City.

“That McDonald’s game will not have one thing to do with how successful any of those guys are next year. Russell, Sasha and Darnell will play in their own respective all-star games,” Self added.

Self surmised why the KU trio was ignored by McDonald’s voters.

“So much is political,” Self said. “A lot of those teams were picked last summer. You could have picked 15 of the 24 before school even started based on some performances. It’s the way it is.”

Self said Sebastian Telfair (6-0, Brooklyn, N.Y.) and Marvin Williams (6-8, Bremerton, Wash.) were shoo-ins, meaning there were at least two fewer spots for the KU guys to snag.

“They probably didn’t have an opportunity to fight for all of them because some were already picked,” Self said. “People thought so highly of many of them there was no way they were not going to be on the team.”

Robinson, a 6-foot-2 guard from New York City’s Rice High, has averaged over 20 points a game since early January, when he was given oxygen to rejuvenate his system after a gas leak was discovered in his apartment.

Kaun, 6-11 from Melbourne, Fla., has averaged about 19 points and 11 rebounds since recovering from an early season foot injury. And Jackson, 6-9 from Midwest City, Okla., has averaged about 12 points and 12 boards a game.

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KU is recruiting one player named to the West team, Malik Hairston, 6-5, from Detroit, who is considering KU, North Carolina, Oklahoma, UCLA, Michigan and Ohio State.

• Injury update: KU sophomore guard Jeff Hawkins did not practice Thursday because of back spasms. Hawkins, who has had recurring back problems in his KU career, has had discomfort the past week or so.

Wayne Simien (groin strain) and J.R. Giddens (sore left foot) also did not practice, but are expected to play Saturday against Iowa State (3 p.m., Allen Fieldhouse).

Self said he considered Michael Lee and Nick Bahe to be KU’s first two guards off the bench.

“Nick is a good shooter, passer, not quite as quick,” Self said. “What he brings to the table are intangibles. He’s a good talker, very vocal, very smart, not nervous or scared to hear his own voice.”

• WSU-KU chatter: Self is glad a bill that would force KU to play Wichita State in a home and home series was pretty much declared dead Wednesday.

House Higher Education Committee members refused to support Wichita Rep. Todd Novascone’s proposed bill.

“Does a legislator see it from a coach’s perspective or from a university’s perspective? They see it from a constituent’s perspective. You can’t do everything all the time to please everybody,” Self said.

“My point is he is not doing it from Turg’s (WSU coach Mark Turgeon) perspective or Self’s perspective, but from constituent’s perspective (fans in Wichita).”

Self said someday he would consider a two-for-one series against WSU, but not now when KU is trying to land as many home games as possible for financial reasons.

“I wouldn’t say we wouldn’t do it some time in the future,” said Self, a friend of Turgeon, who has discussed the matter with the former KU guard and former KU assistant coach.

• Boschee ball: Former KU guard Jeff Boschee on Thursday signed to play for the Kansas Cagerz, a USBL team based in Salina. Last year, Boschee averaged 9.2 points and 3.7 assists in 10 games.

Boschee recently told the Journal-World he would try to make the roster of an NBA summer-league team and try to garner an invitation to preseason camp next year. If he doesn’t make a team, he’s hoping to join Neil Dougherty’s TCU staff as a graduate assistant.

• Color craziness: KU wore red jerseys and Baylor donned black togs Wednesday at Allen Fieldhouse.

A crazier color scheme took place in the Wisconsin-Illinois game. Wisconsin wore red; the Illini bright orange.

“I had a guy call me today who is a big booster there (at U of I),” Self said. “He said, ‘Bill, it’s unbelievable because I’m color blind and I’m at the game and I could not tell who had the ball.'”

• Antler woes: Missouri coach Quin Snyder stopped the Antlers student cheering section from chanting, “Eustachy is a drunk,” during Wednesday’s MU-Iowa State game in Columbia, Mo.

That was a reference to former Cyclone coach Larry Eustachy, who was replaced after last season in part because of drinking beer with students at a party in Columbia, Mo.

Apparently, Snyder and Iowa State freshman Curtis Stinson exchanged words after MU’s 82-70 win.

“That was a disagreement, but it’s nothing. It’s over,” Stinson told the Des Moines Register.

• Stinson an old rookie: Stinson, a 21-year-old freshman who averages 15.4 points for the 14-8 Cyclones, is leading candidate for Big 12 Conference freshman-of-the-year honors.

Texas coach Rick Barnes thinks Stinson’s age puts him at a great advantage over some other players in the league.

The 6-2 Stinson played the past two years at Winchendon Prep after playing high school ball in New York.

“You look at him and take our freshman, P.J. Tucker, he’s 18. Three years is a big difference at that point and time of your career,” Barnes said. “I’m not taking anything away from him as a player, but Curtis is as old as Royal Ivey, who is a senior for us.”

Self has no problem with Stinson being eligible for frosh of the year honors.

“He’s a freshman. Last year he was playing against high school kids,” Self said. “Can’t a junior transfer that played at another high major school be eligible for newcomer of the year?”

Stinson’s age does not shock Self.

“It’s a big recruiting coup to be honest with you,” Self said. “You get a mature guy as a freshman. If we had a problem with it wouldn’t we have a problem with kids when they go on (Mormon) missions? They go and come back when they are 23 years old. In a lot of ways that is a disadvantage. You lose them for a period of time, but in a way it’s a huge advantage. You get a man when you get him back.”