Villanova basketball coach Jay Wright figures a pair of Kansas University guards will have extra incentive in Friday’s Sweet 16 contest at Detroit’s Ford Field.

“They are going to come after us, I fear,” Wright said, referring to Mario Chalmers and Sherron Collins, both cut at last summer’s U.S. Pan American Games Team Trials in Philadelphia.

Wright was coach of the 12-player U.S. team, that, without the KU duo, finished fifth at the Games in Brazil.

“That’s over and done with … in the past,” Chalmers said, indicating he holds no grudge against Wright, who actually did not make the cuts. “I guess it was the committee’s decision.”

The cuts were made by USA Basketball Selection Committee members Bill Self (KU), Jim Boeheim (Syracuse), Ernie Kent (Oregon), Tom Izzo (Michigan State), Scott Schumacher (Kilgore CC) and A.J. Wynder (Nassau CC).

“Unfortunately we didn’t get picked. We took it as a learning experience,” Collins said. “There were a lot of good guards there (including ‘Nova’s Scottie Reynolds, who made team). We could have made it. We didn’t play to our abilities.”

The Jayhawk guards didn’t shoot the ball particularly well at the five-day Pan Am Trials.

“They were upset. McDonald’s All-Americans aren’t used to being cut like that. It’s probably the first time in their lives,” KU’s Russell Robinson said of the reaction of the duo upon returning to campus.

“Coach Self was a little upset with them. He called a meeting that week,” Robinson added. “We figured we’d have at least one guy representing our team. Everybody was a little hurt, a little upset. Coach Self challenged everyone of us to get better over the summer.

“We have one of the best teams around and some of the best players around. You want to be able to show that on teams like that,” Robinson added. “We let that opportunity pass us by. Yet here we are in the Sweet 16 and ready to show we can play.”

Self stressed Tuesday that Wright should not shoulder any of the blame.

“We should make it real clear … Jay Wright did not cut these guys. There was a committee. I was on the committee,” Self said. “I will not say how I voted, but it was a consensus deal. I heard somebody say that should be motivation for our guys getting cut by Jay. They’ll be motivated maybe because he was coaching the team, (but) he wasn’t the person who had the final say-so in those guys not making it.”

Collins put it all in perspective: “This is a Sweet 16 game. We should be motivated enough,” he said.

¢Stewart feels better: KU senior Rodrick Stewart, who missed Saturday’s game against UNLV because of tonsillitis, returned to practice Tuesday.

“I was up all night sweating and cramping up. I was getting hot and cold,” Stewart said of last weekend’s woes. “The funny thing is I never get sick. I was surprised when it hit me like that. I’m glad I’m back, ready to roll.”

He watched KU’s second-round victory on TV at Omaha’s Embassy Suites hotel.

“I’d rather have been there in person. We got the win, and that’s all that matters,” he said.

Stewart suffered during an uncomfortable three-hour bus ride back from Omaha on Saturday night.

“I sat way in the back. I didn’t want to get anybody sick,” Stewart said. “Our other trainer was sick, too. He sat five rows ahead of me.”

¢Collins OK: Collins, who was under the weather Monday, was back at practice Tuesday.

“I think I caught a bug from Rod,” Collins said. “I feel better today.”

Of his bruised left knee, Collins said: “The big thing is not getting it hit this week. It’s getting better day by day. It’s just a bruise.”

¢Travel plans: The Jayhawks were to leave Allen Fieldhouse via charter bus at 3 p.m. today. Their destination is Topeka’s Forbes Field, where they’ll fly to Detroit at 4 p.m. KU will hold a 50-minute shootaround from 3:10 to 4 p.m., Eastern time, Thursday at Ford Field. The shootaround is open to the public. Villanova will practice from 1 to 1:50 p.m.

Tip for Friday’s game is 8:40 p.m., Central.

¢Logo talk: Self was asked if he noticed the Jayhawks slipping on logos on the Qwest Center court in first and second-round action. North Carolina coach Roy Williams complained about logos after the Tar Heels’ second-round victory over Arkansas.

“I read something in our paper this morning about that,” Self said of Chuck Woodling’s column in the Journal-World. “I would think all coaches everywhere don’t like logos because they can get slippery, (but) we didn’t have any problems.”

¢Thomas in star game: KU signee Quintrell Thomas, a 6-8 forward from St. Patrick High in Elizabeth, N.J., will play in the Charm City Challenge all-star game at 5 p.m., Sunday, April 6 at Towson Center in Baltimore.