Kansas University sophomore Sasha Kaun did not practice Sunday or Monday because of his flu-like symptoms.

“He’s really a run-down kid right now,” KU coach Bill Self said. “With finals (this week) we want to go as light with him as we possibly can.”

Self said doctors were doing “some routine bloodwork to make sure we eliminate some stuff. We don’t think it’s anything major. I don’t know if positively it’s a flu or just what it is,” added Self, who noted Julian Wright and C.J. Giles also have had the bug this season. “Sasha is tough enough to play through anything. He just can’t go right now.”

¢ Crowd total explained: The attendance for Saturday’s KU-Cal game at Kemper Arena was listed at 16,180. That’s 16,180 tickets sold for the building that seats 17,818.

“My guess is somewhere between 15,000 and 16,000 were in the building,” KU associate AD Jim Marchiony said. “For every game, you want every seat filled. Any time it doesn’t happen in any sport it is disappointing. I don’t think people knew how good Cal is. The 11 a.m. start didn’t help, either. It’s a tough time to get up and go.”

Marchiony expects KU will continue to play one nonconference game a year in Kansas City as the Jayhawks have the past nine regular seasons and 14 of the past 15 years.

¢ More Vinson: Self was asked on the teleconference if the “Stephen Vinson experiment” would continue.

“I think so. It’s not really an experiment,” he said of playing the senior guard 25 minutes against Cal. “Stephen allows us to be a better team so far when he’s in there. He probably deserved to play more than what he had. I’m not saying Stephen will play significant minutes every game, but I do believe when we are stale he can help get in there and allow our team to be better.”

¢ Hinrich, Pierce in Olympics?: Ex-Jayhawks Kirk Hinrich and Paul Pierce are on a list of three dozen NBA players being considered to play in the 2008 Olympics, the Chicago Tribune reports. Hinrich declined comment about the selection process.

Self hinted on his radio show that Hinrich’s jersey number someday would be hung in the rafters of Allen Fieldhouse.

“I like Kirk’s chances, to be honest,” said Self, who thinks the honor should come a few years after the player has departed.

“I’m not saying wait as long as Wilt and Jo Jo,” he added of Wilt Chamberlain and Jo Jo White, whose waits lasted decades. “But there should be some minimum period. That way when they are inducted or put in the rafters, it’ll mean so much to them, after they’ve been away a bit of time.”