Tyrone Appleton signs an autograph for a young camper during the opening day of Bill Self's Kansas Basketball Camp. Appleton, a transfer from Midland (Texas) College, took part in the event Sunday at Allen Fieldhouse.

Who would have thought that sitting could be so painful?

As it turns out, bending over for more than two hours signing autographs can be quite uncomfortable.

“In high school I sat, like, 20 minutes one time to sign autographs, but nothing this big,” Kansas University freshman Quintrell Thomas said Sunday at the opening day of the Bill Self Kansas Basketball Camp. “You sit there, your back starts to hurt, and there’s no end to the line. I was joking with Tyrone (Appleton) about how our backs were hurting. But you get used to it.”

Thomas and the rest of the men’s basketball team had no choice: KU coach Self expected newcomers and current players to make an appearance.

“I make the incoming guys come over here and do it because they can’t work camp,” Self said. “So I want them to come over here and walk around and give a chance for the campers to see them for the first time. And I think that’s exciting for both parties.”

Hourlong autograph sessions aren’t that new for Appleton, a recent transfer from Midland (Texas) College.

“Down at junior college, when I first signed with Kansas, I had to sign autographs for, like, two hours or so,” Appleton said. “So this wasn’t too bad. It’s crazy, but I like it. I like this type of atmosphere.”

The autograph line is just the beginning.

Having just moved into the Jayhawker Towers at week’s end, Appleton has started summer classes.

Roommate Travis Releford, who arrived last week, already has begun quizzing the juco transfer – but more about Appleton’s history rather than American history.

“I’ve been asking him questions about how junior college went and how he did there,” the freshman from Bishop Miege in Roeland Park said. “I don’t know much about him and his career there.”

Appleton, a junior from Gary, Ind., said he has been going beyond telling stories of individual performances and more into the type of basketball that is played in the juco ranks.

“I’ve just been trying to let him know what it’s all about,” Appleton said. “High school to D-I is a totally big difference. You’ve got much stronger guys, faster guys in junior college so there’s a little difference (between it and Div. I), but it’s not a big difference.”

The pairing of the suitemates makes for a unique combination, with one a recent high school grad from Kansas and the other coming to his second collegiate stop.

“It’ll probably be Travis helping Tyrone out because Travis is so familiar with the surroundings,” Self said. “But I can see Tyrone being an asset to Travis in a maturity standpoint. All the freshmen are going to think they’ve got it figured out, and then they’re going to realize real quick that they don’t know quite as much as they think they did coming in.”

Appleton already seems to have the notion that preparing the freshmen mentally will be a big part of his duties at Kansas.

“I feel like I’m going to have to help some guys, but some guys are going to have to help me,” he said. “I just want to help guys who want help from me because I’ve been through two years of college already … so I’m going to help the dudes that just came out of high school know that it is going to be tough at times, but you’ve just got to deal with it and get over it.”

And it’s that type of approach that attracted Self and his coach staff to Appleton and fellow juco transfer Mario Little from Chipola (Fla.) Community College.

“That’s one of the reasons we thought he was important, because he would give us some instant experience and some leadership because he has done a little bit more from a basketball standpoint than the high school kids have,” Self said. “We think he and Mario will be great in that respect for us.”

¢Who’s No. 1?: After pointing out the place where a banner soon will hang in the rafters of Allen Fieldhouse in recognition of Kansas’ 2008 national championship, camp director Brett Ballard handed the microphone over to Self.

The coach opened his talk with the campers by asking them a question.

“Who’s the best basketball team in the country?”

The response wasn’t unanimous, however. Through the yells of “YOU!” Self overheard one camper voting against KU.

“Did you say Duke? You’re not the brightest cat here, are you?” Self joked with the lone camper.

¢Boogie’s bucks: The final tally hasn’t been made official yet, but Self said he was pleased with the turnout of the inaugural “Bill’s Basketball Boogie” on Saturday night at Kansas Speedway.

“Not officially sure, but I think we ended up netting in the vicinity of $400 (thousand). Just north or south of that,” Self said. “Grossing in the $650 to $700 (thousand) range. It was pretty good for a first-time event.”

Self, dressed in a white suit, found himself in the middle of the masses dancing to disco music.

“I’ve never seen a larger percentage of people all dancing at the same time,” Self said. “No matter how many people were there, 80 percent of them were out on the dance floor, it seemed like. So it turned out to be a lot of fun.”

¢Miles in town: Former Jayhawk Aaron Miles, who spent the last year playing basketball overseas in Sevilla, Spain, wasn’t seated at the autograph tables, but he was getting requests from campers.

Miles was at Allen Fieldhouse with his nephews and cousins – who teased Miles by asking for his autograph as well. He was checking in the four youngsters from Portland who are participating in the camp.

“We’re going to enjoy the camp,” Miles said. “I brought them from Portland. Two of them have been out here before when I was playing, but for the other two this is their first time.”

Miles said he expects to be recruited by Self to help in the camps.

“If coach Self wants me to do anything, I’ll do it. That’s how I work,” Miles said. “I’m here for them (nephews and cousins), but at the same time I’m a part of Kansas, so if coach Self needs me to do anything, I’m more than willing to help.”

¢Little, twins to move in soon: With Appleton making himself at home in Jayhawker Towers, the basketball team is now just short three newcomers.

Little, along with twins Marcus and Markieff Morris, have yet to make the move to Lawrence.

“Hopefully they’ll all be here in the next couple of weeks,” Self said.