Campers swarm around Kansas University guards Sherron Collins and Rodrick Stewart, right, as they compete for a rebound during the Jayhawks' Holiday Clinic. More than 400 youngsters showed up for the morning basketball session with the KU men's basketball team and coaches on Thursday at Allen Fieldhouse.

Kansas Head Basketball Coach Bill Self introduces his players to campers inside Allen Fieldhouse during the 2007 Bill Self Holiday Clinic. Self, his assistant coaches and his players schooled more than 500 youth who attended the morning camp on Thursday, Dec. 27, 2007.

Three and a half days out of the gym seemed like an eternity to Kansas University basketball coach Bill Self, who nonetheless enjoyed a white Christmas in his snowy home state of Oklahoma.

“It was good. I didn’t do anything. I sat around and ate. I think I gained 10 pounds. That’s what it feels like,” Self said Thursday morning at KU’s annual holiday hoops clinic at Allen Fieldhouse.

His players scattered to their various hometowns for Christmas after the KU-Miami of Ohio game on Dec. 22, with the exception of senior Russell Robinson, who decided not to make the long trek to Bronx, N.Y.

Robinson, who had told reporters he planned to spend Christmas watching a movie in front of his Christmas tree in his apartment, had a change of plans.

“I didn’t stay in the room. I couldn’t stay in the room. I got too many calls. Everybody was feeling sorry for me,” Robinson said. “People reached out for me. I love ’em for that. I had some friends come over and hung out and had a good time.”

Like his coach, Robinson dined well on Christmas Day.

“I was in Kansas City, had a nice little dinner,” Robinson said, grinning when asked who entertained him. “I didn’t go to Brandon’s (Rush). I’m not going to give it up.”

KU senior Sasha Kaun met his mother, Olga, in Seneca Falls, N.Y., at the home of the family that sponsored him during his high school days at Florida Air Academy.

“My mom was there. It was a good Christmas. It was awesome,” said Kaun, who indicated he hopes his mother, who lives in Tomsk, Russia, will be able to remain in the U.S. until Kaun’s graduation in May.

Kaun ate so many Christmas goodies he paid the price at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday – time for the Jayhawks’ first official practice of second semester.

“It was a little tougher. Everybody had three days off – all the food and the Christmas food. We worked hard,” Kaun said.

“It was hard. Coach Self didn’t have any breaks. He worked us just like before (Christmas) break,” Robinson noted. “We made it through and will be better for it.”

The Jayhawks continued a frantic pace Thursday. First they held the clinic for 400 youths from 9:30 a.m. until noon. Then they held both afternoon and evening practices.

“By no means am I giddy about how we are playing or whatever, but I am very pleased with their attitudes,” Self said. “Even when obviously they don’t want to be here – they’d rather be with family – they come in and put in their time, do their work, move on down the road. I’ve had a lot of teams over Christmas break, it wasn’t exactly that way. We’ll see how we’re doing a week from now.”

The Jayhawks (12-0), who meet Yale (3-6) at 7 p.m. Saturday at Allen Fieldhouse, enjoyed holding instructional stations with the campers Thursday morning.

“The clinic was great,” Robinson said. “Being out here having a positive influence on the kids’ lives is just wonderful. We enjoy it as much as they do. We take a lot of pride in doing it.”

“It’s good to have the guys around the kids, make them happy, give them something to look forward to during the holiday,” Kaun said. “The biggest thing for them is getting autographs, I think. Being around us is most fun for them.”

¢ Back on time: The Jayhawks all made it back for Wednesday night’s return practice.

“Rod (Stewart, Seattle) and Sherron (Collins, Chicago) were delayed a little bit, not to the point they missed practice,” Self said. “I moved it back 30 minutes to allow everybody to get here. As far as getting back (to hometowns on snowy Saturday) : Rod had the hardest time. His flight was scheduled Saturday night. He couldn’t get out until Sunday morning. Everybody else was only delayed. They were able to get out.”

¢ Yale, Yale, the gang’s all here: Yale’s players and coaches beat today’s predicted snowstorm into town. They practiced Wednesday night at Olathe South, alma mater of Bulldog senior starters Caleb and Nick Holmes. The Bulldogs practiced Thursday afternoon at Free State High and Thursday night at KU.

¢ Eddie’s back on bench: Self learned his mentor, Eddie Sutton, had accepted an interim-head-coaching position at University of San Francisco on Wednesday afternoon.

“I got a phone call asking for a quote (comment) yesterday at 4 o’clock,” Self said. “It really, really surprised me. Based on what I’ve read, he’s very excited about it. He’ll do a great job.”

Sutton needs two wins to reach 800.

“I don’t think you need two more wins to validate a career. I don’t believe that’s the only reason he’s doing this,” Self said. “I think he really wants to go out on a positive note. The way he went out was not under the pretenses he hoped (after his arrest on DUI charges at Oklahoma State). I’m sure he’s got his reasons, good and valid reasons. I think he’ll have a lot of fun doing it. I think it’d be a lot of fun going to a place you don’t know anybody, and you coach a team and not have to worry about recruiting or anything. Just go coach a team. I think it’d be a good time.”