KU takes day off

The Jayhawks, who won three games in three days over the weekend in Kansas City, took a day off on Monday. The squad will practice today, eat a late lunch and board a charter bus for Omaha about 3 p.m. outside Allen Fieldhouse.

“We had to take a day off,” KU coach Bill Self said. “Our guys are worn out. We met at 4 (p.m. Monday) and I asked how many were worn out. All raised their hand. Some of them didn’t play that much. That concerned me a bit,” he added with a laugh. “It (Texas game) was an exhausting game to watch.”

Self appears on ESPN

Self learned once again how popular the coach of a No. 1-seeded team can be.

He was a guest on ESPN’s Mike and Mike morning show at 8:30 a.m., then spoke 10 minutes on the weekly Big 12 coaches’ teleconference. His “Hawk Talk” radio show lasted from 6 to 7 p.m. He was back on Doug Gottlieb’s ESPN radio show at 8 p.m.

“I’m tired,” Self said. These people got me pumped up, though.”

Banquet date set

KU’s men’s basketball banquet is set for 7 p.m. on April 13 at the Holidome Convention Center.

Williams Fund members have received a mailing with details.

Will crowd be quiet?

Though all tickets have been sold, there could be a moderately subdued atmosphere in the Qwest Center for KU’s first-round game.

“Very rarely in the first round do you play before a full house,” Self said. “People usually only go watch their team play. Hopefully a lot of our fans can make it to Omaha and find ways to get into the game. Kansas fans are great at being able to find something that doesn’t appear to exist.”