Popular perception is Kansas University’s basketball team has flown “under the radar” this season despite being undefeated and ranked No. 2 in the country.

That’s changing with each and every victory, of course.

And so Dick Vitale offered his opinion of the 19-0 Jayhawks this week in his online column at ESPN.com. Vitale’s work has been available only via print so far this season as he recovers from surgery to remove lesions on his left vocal chord.

“There is something about this Jayhawk squad that is unique and special,” Vitale wrote in his latest column. “They have phenomenal balance, and what does that remind you of? ESPN analyst Fran Fraschilla recently mentioned it on a telecast: This Kansas team is reminiscent of Florida. I couldn’t agree more.

“When you study this Jayhawk edition, look at the distribution of points. They have so many weapons capable of scoring and beating you. It is hard to know which guy is going to hurt you. Look at the improvement of Darrell Arthur and Darnell Jackson inside,” Vitale added.

“I have said it before and I will say it again : Kansas has the best perimeter play in America. Their versatility with Mario Chalmers, Sherron Collins, Russell Robinson and Brandon Rush is impressive. This club is playing unselfish basketball, and using its defense to create offense.

“Bill Self has a juggernaut that is on fire. You can say the Jayhawks are playing as well as anyone in the nation. They have flat-out dominated.”

More from Dickie V. …

“This is a legitimate threat to cut the nets down in San Antonio. My friends, I have a feeling this club is going to be a continuing juggernaut all year long. I don’t see a slip coming soon. This is a well-coached team playing with purpose and working as a T-E-A-M : T for togetherness, E for effort, A for attitude and M for mental toughness.” His full column is available at http://espn.go.com/dickvitale/ 080123underratedkansas.html

¢ Perfection discussed: KU coach Self was a guest on ESPN’s “The Pulse” radio show with host Doug Gottlieb on Thursday night.

Gottlieb asked KU’s coach if he thought about possibly going undefeated this season, becoming the first team since Indiana (1976) to do so. KU and Memphis are the only unbeaten teams in the land.

“Not really. I think that will be a little far-fetched,” Self said. “We talked about this as a group last night. I said, ‘Do you guys feel any extra pressure because we’re undefeated?’ They (players) said no. They were not overly excited about last night’s game (83-59 victory over Iowa State). They know we can improve.”

Gottlieb asked Self if he felt his team could use a loss for motivational purposes.

“If we need to lose a game I don’t think we’ve reached that point yet,” Self said. “If we stop doing the things that give us the best chance night in our out, or get complacent, maybe then that would be a good thing. Our guys are not complacent and don’t need to be humbled. I’m not saying that won’t necessarily be the case down the line. I don’t think it’s the case now.”

KU’s next game will be Saturday’s 12:45 p.m. home contest against Nebraska. KU defeated NU, 79-58, on Jan. 12 in Lincoln, Neb.

¢ Baylor’s big win: Self on Baylor’s 116-110 five-overtime victory over Texas A&M on Wednesday in College Station, Texas: “It’s great for Baylor. That’s a shame the game wasn’t carried anywhere (on national TV). That’s one of the best games of the college basketball season for sure. Not many people got to see that unless they were there in person.

“Their staff has done a great job in recruiting,” Self added of Scott Drew’s coaching staff. “Those guys can play anywhere. They are making a strong push to do some serious damage in our league.”

Noted Drew on Gottlieb’s radio show: “The first thing we need to do is we’ve got to find a way to get it on ESPN Classic,” Drew said. “Last year, Texas-Oklahoma State was the game of the year. I’m a little biased, but five overtimes in a rivalry game … this would be the game of the year. What made it tougher is all the people who had to listen to it on radio. I called my dad (Homer, Valparaiso coach) today, and he said, ‘If I have to do that again, I’ll have a heart attack.'”

Drew told Gottlieb he received hundreds of calls and text messages Wednesday n ight and Thursday.

¢ Recruiting: Tyrone Appleton, a 6-3 sophomore from Midland (Texas) College will make a recruiting visit to KU this weekend. Appleton, who averages 12.7 points and 5.5 assists per contest, is considering KU, Iowa State, Kentucky, Texas and San Jose State. He’s the No. 3 juco prospect in the country. KU has already landed a commitment from No. 1 juco player Mario Little of Chipola (Fla.) CC.