Russian teenager Sasha Kaun faced a major problem upon arriving alone in the United States in the summer of 2001.

He couldn’t speak a word of English.

“The first two weeks were really hard,” said Kaun, then a tall (6-foot-10), gangly (185 pounds) and nervous 15-year-old high school sophomore, who decided to follow in the footsteps of a friend and came to America from Tomsk, Russia to study at Florida Air Academy.

“In my case, I had to do it. There was nobody around me who could speak Russian. I had to learn quickly.”

He did, enrolling in the Melbourne, Fla., boarding school’s “English as a Second Language” program and spending all his free time with teachers willing to tutor him.

Kaun learned English so fast that he received nothing but As during his high school years.

“After two weeks, I started to learn more and more,” shrugged Kaun, who now knows English so well, the 6-11, 240-pounder is enrolled in a summer speech class at Kansas University, where he’ll major in both computer science and men’s basketball the next four years.

“I do not know it all. I’m pretty sure there’s a lot more I can learn,” added Kaun, who credits “hard work” for his progress in athletics and academics in the United States.

He never had played organized basketball until joining coach Aubin Goporo’s Florida Air Academy squad as a skinny sophomore.

“I wasn’t really planning on playing basketball,” said Kaun, whose mom, Olga, a professional designer, initially wanted him to go to art school.

“It happened my coach was a great coach. He wanted to see if I could do it. He worked with me, and good things started happening.”

Kaun’s game took off like a NASA rocket during the summer after his sophomore season when he fought off pangs of homesickness and decided to stay in Florida to beef up and work on hoops fundamentals with Goporo.

After beefing up, improving his footwork and developing a deadly shot around the basket, Kaun blossomed into a scorer, averaging 13 points a game his junior season and attracting interest from major colleges.

Kansas University incoming freshman basketball player Sasha Kaun is at home on the court thanks to his 6-foot-11, 240-pound frame. But the Tomsk, Russia, native needed a couple of weeks to learn English after coming to the United States. He seemed comfortable Friday outside of Allen Fieldhouse.

Kaun, who signed with Kansas in November over finalists Duke and Michigan State, upped his averages to 15.3 points and 12.6 rebounds a game his senior campaign.

Now he is so accomplished, he’s considered to be a future NBA prospect.

“It has become (a goal),” Kaun said. “When I first came here, for me education was No. 1 and basketball was No. 2. Now I’m trying to kind of switch it around, trying to spend more time in basketball, get to as high a level as I can.

“I think school is really important. I want an education. I will get an education, but I’m thinking if I have a chance to play pro, it’d be really good. I’m trying to work toward it.”

Those who know Kaun believe he will excel in both basketball and academics at KU.

He comes from a high school in which he woke up at 6:30 every morning, had mandatory study hall during the evenings, wore the Air Force uniform to class and took part in marching drills once a week.

“He comes from a very disciplined background at Florida Air Academy, where he really understands what it’s like to get up and go to work everyday,” KU coach Bill Self said.

“He is a fabulous young man who has certainly adjusted well to the States. We are all going to enjoy getting to know him. We think he has a great future on and off the court.”

On the court, Kaun is known as a player who runs the floor well, has a nice touch and isn’t afraid to rattle the rim for automatic baskets off dunks.

“He’s working on improving his offense facing the basket. He’s already excellent with his back to the basket and has great post moves,” coach Goporo said. “Plus, he runs the floor better than just about any big man out there. I’m probably biased, but I think he posts up better than any (high school) player in the country.

“Sasha has only been playing for two years so he is improving every day. He works extremely hard and is very easy to teach.”

He already has picked up pointers while playing pick-up games this summer at KU.

“I learn from all of the players, especially Wayne,” Kaun said of KU senior-to-be Wayne Simien. “He’ll tell me things. Some of the guys will try to tell me things, to push me hard.”

Push him mentally and physically.

Kaun said he has learned that he needs to buff up. That’s why he lifts weights every day.

“My main goal is to get bigger physically,” Kaun said. “The Big 12 is a big conference.”

No prima donna, Kaun smiled when asked if he would start this season. There’s an opening for a big man in the lineup next to Simien.

“Starting is open to the hardest worker,” Kaun said. “I will try to work as hard as I can. Hopefully it will pay off. If I don’t play a lot, I would be disappointed in myself. I will try to make sure this doesn’t happen. I will work hard every practice.”

And before practice, walking the hills of campus. Kaun is vehicleless but not fretting about it.

“I walk,” he said. “Everything is so close. I live at the Jayhawk Towers. The gym is right here, the basketball offices, the weight room. The food place is right here. Classes are five minutes away. Everything is close together. I like it.”

He’s not the only one. Kaun showed his mom around Lawrence for a couple of days last week. She had been in the states for more than a month, first visiting Florida for Kaun’s high school graduation.

“She said, ‘Lawrence is beautiful, a lot like Russia,”’ said Kaun, who worked as translator for his mom here, since like her son back in 2001, speaks no English. “She noticed there were a lot more trees than Florida. My town (Tomsk) is famous for wood architecture. There are a lot of beautiful wood houses. I like both places.”

He has become so well adjusted he’s in no hurry to return to Russia where he his mom, half-sister and two nieces live. A two-week trip home for Christmas in 2002 was enough to satisfy him for a while.

“When I had a chance to go home and see friends, it’s made it a lot easier,” said Kaun, whose dad died six years ago. “Now I miss it, but I’m not having to go home. Time will show what will happen after I graduate.”