With all due respect to the 16 basketball teams still alive in the NCAA Tournament …

“I think it’ll be Boston College, Memphis, Texas and Connecticut,” Kansas University basketball coach Bill Self said Wednesday, picking his Final Four survivors without hesitation.

“Why? I just think those are the best teams,” Self shrugged, tapping UConn as the eventual national champion. “Connecticut,” he said, “has the best players and the most players – the most (eventual) pros.”

Self was his usual jovial self, chit-chatting from his KU basketball office just five days after KU’s 77-73 first-round loss to Bradley. KU entered as a No. 4 seed; Bradley a No. 13.

“I think there is certainly less difference now than there ever has been between all schools,” said Self, noting the reduction of 15 scholarships to 13 several years ago has “turned out to be a huge factor (in parity).”

Just one of the top 10 winningest programs of all time – Duke – remains alive in the NCAAs. KU, Kentucky, North Carolina, St. John’s, Syracuse, Temple, Penn, Utah and Indiana are all watching.

“Ten years ago, kids didn’t leave after their sophomore year (for NBA). They left after their junior or senior year,” Self said. “Kansas is one of the schools who benefited the most from kids staying in school. In today’s society, Raef (LaFrentz), Paul (Pierce), Kirk (Hinrich), Nick (Collison), Drew (Gooden) … you wouldn’t have gotten three or four years out of them with the climate today if in fact they were at the same stage they were as freshmen and sophomores.”

Self said it wouldn’t be the same mid-majors making a mark each year.

“You’ll have high majors stay at the high level, but each year there will be some mid-majors that can jump up and be in that elite group because they’ll have a fifth-year senior or a 24-year-old like (Bradley’s) Marcellus Sommerville, somebody like that that will allow them to do things like that,” Self said.

¢ More on Rush: Self spoke with Brandon Rush on Wednesday, touching base with the KU freshman on spring break.

“I asked him what he was doing. He said, ‘Chillin,”’ Self said with a laugh. “I told him to relax and enjoy spring break. We’ll talk when he gets back.”

Self said in coming weeks he would talk to representatives of all NBA teams about Rush’s possible draft status, despite the fact Rush last Friday indicated he would return for his sophomore season.

“I still feel he meant what he said. I don’t think he based his decision on emotion. I’m not saying he did that, (but) he deserves to see what people are saying about him,” Self said.

“We’ll see where they have him on the board. He needs to know what NBA people are saying about him, what his deficiencies are, what they are pleased with. He needs to know everything, in fairness to him. It’s what we should do for all our guys that have a chance.”

Self said he didn’t think any other KU players would be considering a jump this season.

¢ Florida likely on slate: Look for KU to play Florida in the 2006 Las Vegas Invitational Tournament.

The Gators are expected to join KU as the other big-name program in the eight-team Invitational. Three schools will travel to KU and three more to Florida for first- and second-round robin action in mid November. All eight teams will gather in Las Vegas the Friday and Saturday of Thanksgiving week, KU likely playing Florida on Saturday, Nov. 25 in Glitter City.

Self said he would like to play “five big, big games” next nonconference season. Three would be Florida, USC and South Carolina.

“This year our five were Kentucky, Arkansas, Arizona, Nevada and Cal. It’d be nice to play a schedule at least comparable to that and probably play some guarantee games with a little better RPI. We chose the games this year because we were so young,” Self said.

¢ Collins update: KU point guard signee Sherron Collins of Chicago’s Crane High has not yet qualified academically. Unable to talk in specifics about a prospect’s grades, Self said he was confident Collins would be eligible next season. Collins can take the standardized test three more times. A strong second semester classroom performance combined with the test score should make him eligible on the sliding scale.

“He is a point guard who can shoot. He’s really good,” Self said, adding, “it will be kind of exciting to have three guys out there (Collins, Mario Chalmers, Russell Robinson) who all have point-guard skills that can play different spots. I see it (guard position) as interchangeable parts as much as anything.”

Self said he didn’t think combo guard Brady Morningstar would need a red-shirt year. “He could definitely play next year,” Self said. “He’s open to whatever. He’s a blend guy. He knows how to play. He can shoot it, is athletic, can pass. He will be really good with good players around him.”

¢ KU, WSU: KU has no plans to play Wichita State next season. “I can’t see it happening in the immediate future,” Self said. “‘Turg’ (Mark Turgeon) and I have talked in the past about it. Never say never. I don’t see it happening in the foreseeable future.”