Lahaina, Hawaii ? Lahaina Civic Center used to be a good place to watch – but a hazardous building in which to play – a college basketball game.

“I just remember it being hot. I think I saw the devil running around in there,” fifth-year Kansas University senior Jeff Hawkins said with a smile.

He watched in horror four years ago when KU’s Nick Collison and Aaron Miles suffered severe cramps in a first-round EA Sports Maui Invitational loss to Ball State. The building remained steamy, but no cramps were evident in KU victories over Houston and Seton Hall.

The Jayhawks, and third-year coach Bill Self, are hoping for no instant replays of the cramping during tonight’s 8 p.m. CST Maui Invitational battle between KU and Arizona in the newly air-conditioned building, which seats 2,400 fans.

“We’ll do things to try to hydrate ourselves, eat the right foods,” said Self, whose Illinois team had no problem with cramps in 2000, when the Illini went 2-1, losing in the finals to Arizona, 79-76. “The big thing is it used to not be air-conditioned. It is now. The heat is not as big a factor as the past.”

Kansas University coach Bill Self, left, Maryland coach Gary Williams, center, and Michigan State's Tom Izzo pose with personalized surf boards after a news conference publicizing the Maui Invitational. The coaches met the press Sunday in Lahaina, Hawaii.

Today’s biggest problem – the game will be played mid-day in Maui, nighttime in Kansas – figures to be provided by the opposition.

No. 10-ranked Arizona has experience and talent in senior All-America candidate Hassan Adams, as well as senior forward Isaiah Fox, senior guard Chris Rodgers, junior forward Ivan Radenovic and junior guard Mustafa Shakur.

Gifted Arizona has been picked to win the Pac-10 Conference.

“They get after you. They press,” Self said of a team that this year is running a “four out, one in” offense that is stressing perimeter play. “It’s one thing to press in practice, but you can’t simulate the kind of athletes they have. Rodgers, Shakur and Hassan coming at you : they are long, lean and as quick or quicker than we are.

“We have to be smart, take care of the ball, understand it’s going to be a long game. There will be a lot of possessions out there.”

Arizona coach Lute Olson, second from right, and other coaches show off their Maui Invitational surf boards. Olson's Wildcats will open their season tonight against Kansas University.

The Wildcats have just one returning double-digit scorer: Adams, who hit 12.7 points per game his junior campaign. Yet in two exhibition games, in which Arizona averaged 103.5 points per contest, Rodgers averaged 20.5 ppg, freshman Marcus Williams 16.0 and Adams 15.5, with Shakur netting 9.5 and freshman guard J.P. Prince 8.5.

“They get after you and can really score from different spots on the perimeter,” Self said. “The strength of their game is moving the ball. Their big guys can score. Their guards are as good a bunch as there is.”

Arizona coach Lute Olson, who recruited KU’s C.J. Giles, Julian Wright and Mario Chalmers, doesn’t expect his team to run away from the Jayhawks.

“It will be a wild game,” Olson said. “Kansas is very athletic, and we think we are, as well. Their big guy, (Sasha) Kaun, is a banger on the inside. It will be an entertaining game. I think there will be a lot of adjustments made by both teams. It’s always the case in an early game like this.”

Self, whose Jayhawks tuned up by pounding Idaho State, 90-66, Friday, believes his young team can gain from playing tough competition like Arizona.

If KU wins, the Jayhawks would play the winner of the UConn-Arkansas game at 8:30 p.m. Tuesday. If KU loses, the Jayhawks get the UConn-Arkansas loser at 3 p.m.

“I think it’s a perfect time for us to play in this tournament, young and all,” said Self, who took part in a media conference Sunday with Olson and the other six coaches. “I think we’ll know a lot about our guys. I think it’s a great time to throw these guys into the fire, because they are going to be thrown in the fire later again, anyway.”

He was speaking figuratively.

He hopes the gym does not resemble a furnace this time around.