“Late Night in the Phog” will take place during prime time this year.

Kansas University athletics-department officials confirmed Monday that KU’s season-opening men’s and women’s basketball practices would, in all likelihood, start at 7 p.m. on Oct. 14 – and end at 9 p.m. – rather than the midnight start and 1:15 a.m. finish of the past.

KU plans to take advantage of a new NCAA rule that allows basketball teams to hold the season’s first practice at 7 p.m. local time the Friday closest to Oct. 15.

“Nothing is finalized, but I’d expect we’ll start the festivities before 7 p.m.,” KU associate athletic director Jim Marchiony said. “The women will probably go (practice and scrimmage) at 7 p.m. and the men at 8 p.m.

“The issue is, ESPN has chosen a handful of schools to spotlight an hour live on ESPNU. Kansas will be 8 to 9 p.m. Central Time.”

Specifics – such as when Allen Fieldhouse doors will open – will be announced at a later date.

“I don’t think it will be a lot different than the past,” KU senior associate AD Larry Keating said of Late Night. “In the past, the men’s basketball team couldn’t do anything until midnight. We were doing things from 7 p.m. or 8 p.m. until midnight to fill time.

“This year : the NCAA decided that what used to start at midnight, you could now start at 7, so young children and families would be able to attend. I think it’ll be a huge success. Just today, an older gentleman I was with told me, ‘Now I’ll be able to go this year.”’

Kansas University men's basketball Bill Self, right, watches an approach shot along with Alvamar golf pro Brad Demo during the Bill Self Boy Scout Classic. Self competed in the event Monday at Alvamar Public.

Chances are “Late Night In the Phog” will remain the name – for tradition’s sake.

“It’ll still be ‘Late Night in the Phog,”’ KU coach Bill Self said. “Eight, 9 p.m. still isn’t early. You never know. Next year it could start at 10.”

“Seven p.m., 8 p.m. – that’s late night somewhere in the world,” Marchiony quipped. “Some people go to bed at 9 o’clock.”

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Still no rush to judgment: Brandon Rush, a 6-foot-6 guard from Kansas City, Mo., did not announce his college plans on Monday. It’s believed he’s still waiting word from the NCAA Clearinghouse before announcing for either KU, Indiana or Illinois. Sources close to the family have said KU is the likely choice as long as he’s eligible to play. The long-awaited decision could come today or Wednesday.

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Minnesota prep down to three: Cole Aldrich, a 6-10, 235-pound high school junior from Bloomington, Minn., on Monday trimmed his list of schools to KU, North Carolina and Minnesota. Aldrich, the No. 9-ranked player in the class of 2007, told rivals.com he would visit either KU or North Carolina for its season-opening practice on Oct. 14. Until Monday, Aldrich also had Arizona, Kentucky, Marquette, Michigan State and Wisconsin on his list.

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Self tourney: Bill Self, who is a 13-handicap golfer, won closest to the pin honors at Monday’s Bill Self Boy Scout Classic at Alvamar. His team placed second at the event, shooting 20-under and losing in a tiebreaker. The tournament raised funds for the Pelathe Heart of America Council Boy Scouts of America.

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Stewart averages 13.5 ppg: KU sophomore Rodrick Stewart finished as second-leading scorer on the U.S. college all-star team that went 2-4 on a trip to Slovenia and Austria. Stewart, a 6-4 transfer from USC, scored 81 points in the six games for a 13.5 average. Purdue’s David Teague averaged 18.3. Illinois’ Chester Frazier averaged 10.8 ppg, followed by UW-Green Bay’s Terry Evans (9.5), Evansville’s Brad Strickland (7.5), Purdue’s Gary Ware (6.2), Villanova’s Chris Charles (5.5), Evansville’s Matt Webster (4.2), UW-Green Bay’s Tevah Morris (1.0) and Maryville’s Casey Holland (0.5).