Kansas University basketball coach Bill Self will not shed any tears Thursday if the NCAA board of directors, as expected, passes legislation that will forbid coaches from text-messaging recruits.

“Although it can be advantageous,” Self said Monday, “you can have a short conversation with someone involving 10, 15 texts in a three- to four-minute period. You can have a short conversation, short dialogue with somebody, still be 15 text messages long.

“It can be abused. It’s probably a good thing to regulate that.”

Unlike restrictions on phone calls and in-person visits, there have been no coach limits on text messaging. E-mails would be exempt from the new ban, but would be limited.

It’s possible the board will delay passage of a text messaging ban, instead tabling the issue. The American Football Coaches Association has recommended allowing texting during some parts of the year, banning it in others.

Whatever happens, coaches like Self can continue to text away to anybody besides high school and junior-college players.

“It’s a great way to run down your own players,” Self said of the new technology.

¢ Draft talk: ESPN.com draft analyst Chad Ford reported Monday that Brandon Rush was “leaning toward returning to school,” while “Darrell Arthur is tempted to declare.”

Self addressed both rumors Monday.

He said there has been no change in the Rush situation. He plans to meet with the sophomore guard later this week, with Rush having until midnight Sunday to enter his name in the NBA Draft. Rush has indicated he’d inform the media of his decision, likely Friday.

Rush has said if he turns pro he won’t sign with an agent, and thus could withdraw from the draft by June 18. He has said he definitely would turn pro if he knew he was to be chosen in the top-20 range.

“Rush is definitely in the mix for those 17 to 25 slots, but there is so much that can happen from now until the draft that no one can say anything for sure,” an NBA source told the Journal-World. “You’d have to ask every NBA general manager, and the problem is they don’t know that either until maybe a few hours before the draft, if not a few minutes.

“The thing about Rush is, he’s a 2-guard in the NBA, and that means he has to score. He could help himself a lot by staying and putting up some scoring numbers next year. He could be a first-rounder (this year). He also could slip to the second round, and if that happens and a team has no financial investment in him, they might not be willing to invest much in his development.”

Second rounders do not receive guaranteed contracts.

As far as Arthur : he told the media after KU’s basketball banquet that he most definitely would be back.

Self said there has been no change in that decision.

“I was in Dallas and met with the family. We are all on the same page. It hasn’t been part of the equation,” Self said of Arthur possibly turning pro. “He’ll be back.”

¢ Legion to Kentucky?: Alex Legion, a 6-foot-4 guard from Oak Hill Academy in Mouth of Wilson, Va., is expected to commit to Kentucky today, FOXsports.com reports. Legion visited Kentucky last weekend. He considered Kansas for a short period after receiving his release from a Michigan letter of intent. Legion also considered UCLA.

¢ Tournament coming to town: The Jayhawk Invitational AAU basketball tournament will be held May 4-6 at Allen Fieldhouse, Horejsi Center and Robinson Gym. There will be 32 teams in the 17-and-under division, with 20 in the 16s and 20 in the 15s. A list of participating teams will be released next week.

¢ Free-throw winner: Veritas Christian senior Micah Barclay hit nine of 10 shots to win the Leo Center Free Throw Challenge on Sunday at the Community Building.

Barclay won the 18-25 age group division, then defeated five other age-division champions in the shootout.

The division champions were: Patrick Lang (13 and under); Adam Hall (14-17); Barclay (18-25); Matt Wedan (2645); James Guthrie (4664); and Charles Benedict (65-over).

Adam Hall had the highest percentage of all shooters, making 25 of 25 in the second round and 56 of 60 overall. In the 13-and-under group, Lang, Alex Goertz, and Zack McNabb each made 21 of 25 in the second round for a three-way tie. The shoot-off went 18 rounds before Lang won. The oldest shooter at 81, Benedict won the 65-and-over division, shooting 14 of 25 underhanded.

The Challenge attracted 92 participants and raised nearly $4,000 to benefit Heartland Medical Center and its new diabetes program for the needy and uninsured.

Ex-Jayhawk Christian Moody helped organize the event. Former KU player Brett Olson and current Jayhawk Matt Kleinmann attended.