Nobody knows how many fans will attend Friday’s “Late Night in the Phog,” considering thousands of Kansas University students will be pouring out of town Thursday for fall break.

Second-year KU coach Bill Self hopes Allen Fieldhouse will be packed to the rafters.

“It’s what our players have been looking forward to ever since the end of the Georgia Tech game (in Elite Eight). Since then, they’ve counted the days down to Late Night,” Self said Tuesday.

“This is one of the nights we circle on the calendar. It’s not the same as playing Missouri, Kansas State or Kentucky, but it’s something we’ve looked forward to a long time.”

Self believes hordes of students will stick around for Late Night, but he said the event could attract a new breed of fan.

“With many students gone, it should be an opportunity for a lot of families in the state to come and see the Jayhawks,” Self said.

Doors will open at 8 p.m. for the season-opening hoops program.

“A Sports Illustrated writer said of all the things he could do, one would be to attend Late Night at Kansas,” Self said. “Kansas is thought to have the best Late Night in America. It’s up to us and our fan base to continue what people in America are calling the best season-opening practice.”

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Bad timing?: Self is not angry fall break was scheduled for the start of basketball season.

“Do I wish all the students could be here? Sure,” he said. “You can’t have it over Homecoming weekend. It didn’t fall right this year, but it’s something put on the calendar long ago.”

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Case won’t play: KU sophomore guard Jeremy Case, who still is suffering from a groin injury, is the only Jayhawk who will not play at Late Night. It remains possible he, Nick Bahe and Matt Kleinmann could take red-shirt seasons.

“Final decisions on that will be made in November,” Self said.

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Women to play, too: KU’s women will scrimmage for eight minutes against a group of male KU students about 11 p.m.

“It is very good the women have a chance to showcase the team in a way that can attract fans and recruits,” Self said. “Coach (Bonnie) Henrickson obviously is trying to do everything she can do to generate enthusiasm for the program. From a recruiting standpoint, (if) people see the ladies in a full house it can do wonders.”