Big 12 basketball coaches are confident Brandon Rush’s surgically repaired right knee will be as good as new this season.

On Tuesday they named Kansas University’s two-time first-team all-conference selection to the preseason all-league team.

Rush, who had right ACL surgery June 1, and is making a steady if not remarkable recovery, was joined on the 2007-08 preseason squad by teammate Darrell Arthur, plus Texas’ D.J. Augustin, Texas A&M’s Joseph Jones, Nebraska’s Aleks Maric and Baylor’s Curtis Jerrells.

A tie in the voting resulted in six being named all-league. KU’s Sherron Collins and Mario Chalmers were honorable mention.

“Brandon won’t perform like a first-team all-leaguer as soon as he comes back from his injury,” KU coach Bill Self said. “By the time conference play begins, we expect him to be a first-team all-leaguer.

“We have multiple guys who deserve preseason All-Big 12 recognition, and I think it’s great that we had a couple of guys land on the team. I also think Mario, Sherron, Sasha (Kaun), Darnell (Jackson) and Russell (Robinson) are worth mentioning too, because we will be a balanced team.”

Rush, a junior from Kansas City, Mo., last week said he felt his knee was “70 percent.” At the time, he indicated he might run through the layup line at Friday’s Late Night in the Phog (6:45 p.m., Allen Fieldhouse).

“Trust me, he’s not doing anything (at Late Night). He’s not Dr. Rush,” Self said. “He will participate, but will not participate in any type of playing yet, even though he could. We’re not going to put him out there quite yet.”

The timetable has been for Rush to return to games Dec. 1 or a month on either side.

“Brandon is close,” Self said. “He wants to do more. The key evaluation will be in a week and a half. That will probably determine the next step. He’s close to being able to do everything physically, just no contact.”

Texas’ Augustin was named preseason player of the year, an honor shared by KU’s Rush and Julian Wright last preseason. Michael Beasley of Kansas State was named freshman of the year and Missouri’s DeMarre Carroll newcomer of the year.

Honorable mention picks included KU’s duo of Collins and Chalmers as well as Aaron Bruce, Baylor; Richard Roby, Colorado; Beasley and Bill Walker, Kansas State; Marcus Dove, Oklahoma State; Josh Carter and DeAndre Jordan, A&M and Martin Zeno, Texas Tech.

“You can’t (realistically) have more than two,” Self said, asked if he was satisfied with the number of Jayhawks all league. “Certainly Brandon and Darrell based on potential and where they are, I can see that. Others can play to a first-team level as well.”