Fortunately, the great majority of Kansas University basketball fans are focusing on what’s quite possible for 2004-05 rather than hanging by the teeth to find out what new signee the Jayhawks might bring into the mix. The promising current squad deserves full attention rather than having it watered down by silly speculation about additional prospects.

The way some chat-room dolts sound, the whole future of KU hinges on more new blood. Let’s relish the here and now. It’s like Jerry Seinfeld describing the female-male attitude toward television remote controls: Women just want to know what’s on the tube; scan-happy, channel-jumping men want to know what ELSE is on.

There already are three blue-chip dandies in the fold for next year — Mario Chalmers, Micah Downs and Julian Wright — with the size and skills that will aid and abet more KU championship pursuits. Yet there continues a frenzy among some followers about whether Medulla Oblongata from Cucamonga, Calif., or Rembrandt von Vermeer from the Netherlands will get that fourth scholarship Bill Self has to offer for 2005-06.

When C.J. Miles, a Dallas kid, predictably signed with Texas, some mindless ‘Netsters would have had you believe the world had reached Armageddon stage. Sure, he’d been welcome, even if he would drive announcers and writers nuts with C.J. Miles and C.J. Giles confusion. But the present-and-accounted-for C.J. Giles is a 6-foot-10 guy who should get the spotlight because he’s likely to do a lot for this year’s Jayhawks, probably a lot more, than C.J. Miles would a year from now.

It’s one thing for fans to get zizzed up and think their team has great chances to win the league title, the postseason tournament and reach the NCAA Final Four. It’s not unusual for players to talk that way.

But when even the coach openly admits, as Self has done, that this gang could be good enough to bring home the No. 1 trophy, it’s time to put more focus on these guys and less on the freshman class of ’05-06.

One reasonably can compare this year’s four-senior crew to the glamorous quadruplets who hubbed the 1951-52 KU team which captured the NCAA title and seven Olympic gold medals. Wayne Simien, Keith Langford, Aaron Miles and Michael Lee eventually could prove they’re comparable to Clyde Lovellette, Bill Hougland, Bill Lienhard and Bob Kenney.

Pretty good nucleus, huh? And the current bunch has been to two Final Four carnivals while the ’52 kings didn’t come close until they were seniors. Battle-tested? The 1952 champs had to win only four games for a national title; this year’s seniors had to help win four games just to make it to The Big Show. They also got varsity experience as freshmen, something the ’52 seniors lacked.

No wonder Bill Self feels good. He can look around and see how many teams lack able and experienced seniors, and in some cases not even any truly outstanding juniors. Texas and Oklahoma State have some solid senior prospects but such is fairly unique in today’s early-out climate.

Then there’s the backup talent for The Big Four, which looms as better than Phog Allen had for 1951-52. J.R. Giddens is “just” a sophomore but he can match up with others’ juniors and seniors if he gets more deadly with mid-range jump shots, improves on defense and, most vital of all, avoids new injuries.

After Lovellette-Kennedy-Lienhard-Hougland in ’52 a terrific junior named Dean Kelley, eventually an All-American, added the kind of luster Giddens can provide. The key guys off the ’52 bench were senior John Keller and junior Charlie Hoag. A truly Magnificent Seven.

But lookee, lookee, lookee what Self can throw at opponents. C.J. Giles, Darnell Jackson, Sasha Kaun, Russell Robinson and Alex Galindo are freshmen. Yet they’ve had far better early schooling than Keller and Hoag ever got and for all that pair’s greatness, five kings will beat two aces anytime.

Self takes turns raving about the rookies. He loves to tell how Robinson offers so many of the skills that were lacking a year ago and how the other players have been quick to pick up on his excellence. Russell says he wants to be a “sophomore by November” and nobody on the roster is betting against that. And Aaron Miles has a decent reliever.

Giles has come on strong with a physical presence and could well be the second starter in the paint with Simien. Jackson and Kaun have sufficient size and bulk to help a lot and will only get better with more service. Galindo has proved he’s a scoring threat although he’s been hobbled of late.

OK, don’t forget Christian Moody. He may not be spectacular but has the experience to do notable things at key moments. Few believe that willowy Moulaye Niang will move ahead of any of the first ten, or that on-again, off-again Jeff Hawkins will be much of a factor.

Yet barring injuries, that god-awful factor which plays such a huge role anymore, Kansas can throw at opponents a 10- to 13-man batch of personnel with tremendous ingredients for success — most notably four tested, hungry seniors who have been to the picnic and back and want to bring home the prize ham this time.

So to heck with who might sign with Kansas later on. Self and Co. have shown they aren’t too shabby as recruiters so any later signees will be notable.

But let’s shove all that onto the back burner and send our spirits soaring about the brass ring that is well within reach of the people already on the scene. Unlike the male TV scanner who wants to see what else is on the screen, let’s go female and lock in the channel to relish this current miniseries.

The 2004-05 show has strong Emmy and Academy Award credentials.