A man of many words, J.R. Giddens could think of just a few Monday afternoon after being introduced as guest speaker at Bill Self’s Kansas University basketball camp.

“I kind of froze up for a second,” said Giddens, KU’s flashy sophomore guard, taken aback by the applause and foot stomping of 700 campers at Horejsi Center. “But then I remembered how when I was their age I wanted to be a player really bad … so I composed myself to talk to them and try to help them.”

Giddens was a hit with the campers — except when one asked him to dunk.

“I can’t dunk yet, because I had offseason surgery on my (left) foot and (right) knee,” Giddens said. “But I’m getting closer to being able to do that again.”

In fact, the 6-foot-5, 195-pound jumping jack is days from being cleared to play pickup basketball. He’s expected to resume part-time pickup duty at midweek, then be cleared for full physical activity July 1.

It has been a long time coming for Giddens, who had a pair of surgeries in early April.

“I’ve taken a little vacation — not because I wanted one,” Giddens said. “I’ve been watching the guys play, taking little notes that will help me for when I come back.”

Giddens’ left foot has been giving him problems for some time.

“I had a pin inserted in my foot after my senior season (at Oklahoma City’s John Marshall High),” Giddens said. “It re-fractured my freshman year. They had to take that pin out and put in one a little longer and little wider to balance my foot. The first pin wasn’t big enough for my foot.

Kansas University sophomore J.R. Giddens addresses campers at KU coach Bill Self's basketball camp. Giddens spoke Monday at Horejsi Center.

“I had surgery on my right knee (to repair cartilage damage) and it feels great now. I get X-rayed every week and it’s fine.”

Giddens, who averaged 11.3 points and 3.6 rebounds his freshman season, finished strong with 63 points in four NCAA Tournament games.

His play in the NCAAs, which included stellar 13 of 26 three-point shooting, didn’t have him thinking about riding a hot streak into the NBA Draft.

“I’m not ready for the NBA,” Giddens said Monday. “People can draft me on potential. I think I have more to show the world before I put my name in the draft. This is Volume Two out of Volume Four.

“Volume One is over with. It’s on to Volume Two. You sign up for four (volumes), right?”

Kansas University assistant coach Tim Jankovich shows his dribbling prowess to campers at KU coach Bill Self's basketball camp. Jankovich dribbled Monday in Horejsi Center.

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Camp talk: Self is pleased with the interest in KU’s hoops camp, sold out for the second straight year.

“There’s so much interest. We have a lot of campers here. We’re very thankful of that,” said second-year KU coach Self, who also had camps at his previous stops.

“Kansas’ camps are different in attendance, although the goals are the same — for campers to get better. I think the kids are having fun. Certainly this has to be one of the premier camps in America.”

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Boasting on Brown: Self concedes 63-year-old Larry Brown, who soon will lead the U.S. Olympic team just weeks after winning the NBA title with the Detroit Pistons, has a lot on his plate.

6Sports video: Giddens kicks off week two of camp

“He will be a tired guy,” Self said of his former boss. “Winning this and going right into the Olympics .. there’s pressure to win the Olympics. No doubt he’ll be a worn-out guy. I would almost guarantee nobody has won an Olympic gold medal, a national championship and world championship. I think he’s the perfect guy coaching the U.S. team.”

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Chalmers dandy: Future KU basketball player Mario Chalmers, a 6-foot-2 high school senior point guard from Bartlett High in Anchorage, Alaska, was impressive at last weekend’s NBA Players Assn. camp in Richmond, Va.

“Chalmers’ hands are the quickest in the class of 2005,” rivalshoops.com analyst Justin Young said. “He pickpockets opponents at midcourt nearly every game. Defensively, he’s as good as they get.”

Kansas University assistant basketball coach Tim Jankovich entertains campers by spinning a basketball on his finger. Jankovich wowed the youngsters during boss Bill Self's camp Monday at Horejsi Center. Related story on page 1C.

Chalmers blocked a dunk attempt by 6-10 Amir Johnson, who is headed to Louisville.

“He met Johnson at the rim and sent the attempt, and the Louisville commit, away,” Young said.