Kansas University coach Bill Self shows off a table given to him by Haskell Indian Nations University painter Elijah Jackson. Self received the congratulatory gift for leading KU to the national championship.

Bill Self has been overwhelmed by all the cards, letters – and even some gifts – delivered to his Kansas University men’s basketball head coach’s office since the Jayhawks’ national championship victory over Memphis on April 7.

“It’s been humbling,” said Self, standing next to a framed picture sent from one of his former Illinois players, Brian Cook, as well as wrapped bottles of bubbly and various other knick-knacks from assorted well wishers.

“A woman at one of (son) Tyler’s baseball games said, ‘Congratulations,’ then asked me, ‘What do you feel like?’ I said, ‘Great,'” Self said.

“She said, ‘You really don’t get it, do you?’ I said, ‘I think I have a clue.’ She said, ‘You don’t understand the magnitude, what this means to so many.’ I probably don’t. Our players probably don’t,” Self added.

Self was especially moved by a gift hand made for him by Haskell Indian Nations University painter Elijah Jackson.

Jackson constructed Self a table with the words “National Champions” and “Believe,” as well as the scores of KU’s Final Four victories over North Carolina and Memphis, on it.

“It’s really cool,” Self said of what Jackson referred to as “more of a king-sized TV tray.”

Jackson, his wife Mary, Haskell athletic director Ted Juneau and members of Haskell’s Veterans Club were on hand when Jackson presented the table to Self last week.

“I read or saw on TV it’s what he told his team: ‘Believe,'” Jackson said. “He told me he had a spot at his house for it. I’m glad he liked it.”

Jackson explained what possessed him to make such a special gift, one that Self said he’d hang on a wall of his West Lawrence home.

“I’ve been in Lawrence for three national championships. I was a little kid in ’52. There was ’88 and this year,” said Jackson, who the past several years has worked concessions at Allen Fieldhouse for KU games with fellow members of the Haskell Veterans Club. “It’s been fun following this team. Coach Self has a big fan base at Haskell. There are a lot of Jayhawk fans there. Maybe 40 percent (of students and employees) are from Oklahoma, where he is from also. Everybody appreciates what they (Jayhawks) have been able to do in basketball.”

And Self appreciates the love.

“KU Nation or Jayhawk Nation is pretty strong. It is overwhelming for us, for our players too, to see how much people care. It’s been so sincere,” Self said.

¢Jayhawk Invitational update: The No. 3 high school player in the Class of 2009 will be playing basketball in Allen Fieldhouse next weekend.

Derrick Favors, a 6-foot-9, 220-pound junior power forward from South Atlanta (Ga.) High School, heads the list of blue-chippers scheduled to appear at the ninth-annual Jayhawk Invitational Friday night through Sunday afternoon in Allen, Horejsi Center and other gyms in town.

Favors, who plays for the Atlanta Celtics, has an early list of KU, Duke, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Memphis, Clemson, Arkansas and North Carolina State.

Other members of the Celtics: Noel Johnson, a 6-7 forward from Fayetteville, Ga., who also has listed KU as well as Memphis, Georgia Tech, Kentucky and Alabama; Terrance Shannon, 6-7 from Forsyth, Ga., considering LSU, Auburn, Georgia, Kentucky and others. Johnson is ranked 30th and Shannon 44th in the Class of ’09.

Elijah Johnson, a 6-2 guard from Las Vegas, who has serious interest in KU, will play point for Los Angeles Pump N Run. The country’s No. 38-rated player is also considering UNLV, Duke, North Carolina, Arizona, Florida and others.

Stephan Van Treese, 6-9 from Indianapolis, is slated to play for Indiana Elite. The country’s 52 rated player has a final list of KU, Indiana, Louisville, Ohio State, UCLA and Florida. His teammate, 6-10 Mason Plumlee, the No. 66 player in the class, has committed to Duke.

KC Pump N Run boasts two area prospects in Michael Dixon, a 6-0 guard from Lee’s Summit West High and Jeff Reid, 6-5 from Topeka Hayden. Dixon, who is ranked 87th in the Class of ’09, has a list of KU, Missouri, Oklahoma, Baylor, Kansas State, Iowa and others. Reid, who is unranked, already has an offer from Kansas State.

Minnesota Howard Pulley will bring a pair of top prospects to town including Royce White, 6-7 from Hopkins, Minn., (ranked 32nd) and Rodney Williams, 6-5 from New Hope, Minn. (ranked 43rd).

White has orally committed to Minnesota. Williams lists KU as well as Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa State and many others.

Xavier Henry, the No. 2 player in the class of 2009, will not attend as he did last year. His Oklahoma Athletes First team is hosting a tournament in Oklahoma the same weekend.

A tournament schedule will be available this week at Jayhawkinvitational.com.