A weary Julian Wright trudged Monday night out of Allen Fieldhouse carrying a small bag of goodies.

“Coach Self’s wife gave us this bag of candy. I think I’ll take it home and go to sleep,” the Kansas University freshman said, forcing a smile.

Wright, to be sure, had no late-night Halloween parties on his social calendar Monday night — rest and relaxation his only agenda after a 2 hour, 30 minute afternoon/evening practice and 45-minute morning session.

Wright exerted perhaps the most effort of any Jayhawk on the court Monday, banging with KU’s inside players while working exclusively at the power-forward slot.

For now, at least, KU coach Bill Self has decided the versatile 6-foot-8, 218-pounder will help the team more inside.

“The way we are going to play up and down, coach Self wants to use me at the 4,” Wright said. “The hardest part is learning defensive principles.

“I’m getting the hang of things now (because) I’m getting tired of getting pushed around. There’s a lot of pushing, shoving (inside),” he said.

“It is intense, but we have great staff of coaches, trainers who do a good job of maintaining us, keeping us (fit),” Wright said.

Wright, who bangs against KU’s big men during individual drills, had one shot slammed against the backboard by Sasha Kaun in the season’s first practice open to media members. Yet, Wright also had his share of inside dunks during drills.

Wright — who spent time on the floor hustling for loose balls and dishing and receiving inside punishment — had fared well as an inside player, Self said.

“He’s going through a learning curve, going through some stuff,” Self said of adjusting to the inside. “We’ve not done much to help him yet. As he gets more comfortable we’ll do more things to help get him more on the perimeter matched against a big guy as opposed to him playing primarily inside.”

As for right now … “since we moved him inside, he has to guard a beast,” Self said. “He has to guard Sasha or Darnell (Jackson) or whoever, so those guys (including perimeter freshmen Mario Chalmers, Micah Downs and Brandon Rush) are getting a good initiation right now.”

Wright, who someday is expected to have ballhandling duties at KU, was asked if he was happy playing the 4-slot.

“I’m glad to be anywhere to help the team and to better myself,” Wright said. “If I get the ball, they want me to push, create, but right now I can use some perimeter skills depending on who is guarding me on the wing.”

Wright’s teammates are amazed at his willingness to try to move KU’s sophomore big men inside.

“It’s tough for him. He’s a skinny guy too, like me, battling against guys like Sasha, Darnell, C.J . (Giles). That’s a tough job,” said Downs, who hit a batch of three-pointers in scrimmage situations Monday. “He’s a tough kid doing that.”

¢ Commitments coming?: There could be good news this week on the KU recruiting front. Minnesota media sources indicate Cole Aldrich, a 6-foot-10, 235-pound high school junior from Bloomington, Minn., soon may choose KU over Minnesota and North Carolina.

“Cole is going to announce his decision on Wednesday or Thursday,” Aldrich’s dad told rivals.com, indicating his son had made his decision. “He has some studying to do at he beginning of this week, so he wants to focus on that before he makes any announcement.”

Aldrich has made five unofficial visits to KU’s campus.

Darrell Arthur, a 6-9 senior forward from Dallas, has completed his campus visits and also is expected to choose either KU, Indiana, Baylor, SMU or Texas soon. KU and Indiana are believed to be his leaders.

¢ Miles makes team: Former KU point guard Aaron Miles is a member of the Golden State Warriors. The team announced its opening-night roster for Wednesday’s home game against Atlanta, and it included the free-agent guard from KU. Injured forward Ike Diogu and fellow rookie Monta Ellis will open the year on the inactive list.

“They said, ‘This is our team,'” Miles told the Contra Costa Times about how he heard he was on the squad. “I’m still here. It’s just a blessing.”