Busy coaching his team, Bill Self didn’t hear an obscene chant bellowing from Kansas University’s student section during Monday’s KU-Missouri Border Showdown at Allen Fieldhouse.

Had KU’s second-year coach been aware of the cheer, which used a four-letter word, he immediately would have asked the fans to cease and desist.

“I don’t think you’d race over there and call attention to yourself. I would have done something to get the word out to the students, ‘Hey, cut it out,”’ Self said Wednesday. “We have administrators who can certainly do that. I’ll plead to the students now.”

His plea is to keep it clean in the context of good sportsmanship.

“Nobody enjoys a great home court more than me,” Self said. “Nobody appreciates the students being so involved in the game (more than Self). Nobody respects the fact they camp out and give their time. I think that’s what makes this place so special.

“I do think if you get into vulgarity it takes away from how special this place is.”

The chant at Monday’s game — which some say cropped up on two occasions — was of the most vulgar variety.

“I didn’t hear that one. I will say it’s totally uncalled for,” Self said. “I think the b.s. chant is totally uncalled for. I am all for creativeness and supporting your team and having fun at the game. I think any profanity that is used is out of line.

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“I don’t want to take away from the students’ enthusiasm, but I don’t think it looks good as an institution if in fact it (chant) sounds on television. It’s not a great way to represent your university and what you are all about. It’s not what we are all about.

“There’s enough creative things you can do and I know our students are very clever. I wish they’d come up with something very creative and clever besides (vulgarity).”

The players have mixed emotions.

“It could be looked at as classless, but when Missouri plays Kansas it brings out the best and worst in people,” senior Michael Lee said. “It doesn’t bother me because their fans (at MU) are the worst I’ve witnessed.”

Keith Langford added: “It’s nothing personal, it’s just a different chant. Everybody probably forgot about it right after it happened. I don’t think it should be a big deal. I’ve been called much worse than that in Columbia.”

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Bumps, bruises report: KU’s Wayne Simien no longer has to wear a splint on his left thumb. He’ll have the thumb taped instead. Alex Galindo, who has a groin injury, remains doubtful for Saturday’s 11 a.m. game at Nebraska. There’s a good chance C.J. Giles (bruised foot) will play against the Huskers.

“The pain is gone. The swelling is down. I think I’ll definitely play,” Giles said, noting a walking cast helped his foot immeasurably.

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Dirty play?: Michael Lee has seen tape of the play in which Nebraska’s Joe McCray kicked him in KU’s 59-57 victory over the Huskers on Jan. 19 at Allen Fieldhouse. Both Lee and McCray were assessed technical fouls after Lee barked at McCray after the kick.

“I got kicked, not in the side either. It was there,” Lee said, referring to his groin. “It was a blatant kick. I was falling down. I tried to avoid him. He thought I maybe tripped him or something.”

“I don’t even want to talk about it. It’ll be interesting,” Lee said of the rematch Saturday in Lincoln, Neb. “Up there I want to keep it solely in the context of basketball.”