Kansas plays its next basketball game in Ford Field, home of the Detroit Lions, and as many as 70,000 could be in attendance.

You already knew that, though, didn’t you? If your name is Brandon Rush, you didn’t. When Rush was asked before Tuesday’s practice about the building in which KU meets Villanova, it became clear he had the wrong picture in his head.

“Where we at?” he asked. “Where we played my freshman year?”

Kansas lost to Bradley in the Palace of Auburn Hills, just outside Detroit, in the opening round of the 2006 NCAA Tournament.

No, Rush was informed, the game would be played at Ford Field.

“Really? I didn’t know that,” Rush confessed. “I can’t wait.”

Laughter.

“I didn’t know we were playing in a big stadium like that,” Rush said. “I thought we were playing where we played our freshman year. I’m looking forward to it.”

He knows Villanova is the opponent. By the time the game tips off, he’ll know everything he needs to know about the players he will defend.

“I’m way more concerned with who we’re playing than where we’re playing at,” Rush said.

His charge will be the same as it always is, to stay aggressive, to avoid drifting away, to be in the middle of the action instead of watching it. Rush needs prodding now and then. KU coach Bill Self knows how to pick his spots with him.

After Rush’s nine-point game against Loyola, Md., Self went public with his desire for Rush to get more involved offensively, to make more plays, for others and himself. Rush, who had averaged 11 points and 1.5 assists per game in his first 13 games back from knee surgery, averaged 14.2 points and 2.7 assists in his next 14 games.

Then, he went on a three-game skid in which he averaged 8.7 points and 0.7 assists. During halftime of the third game in that stretch, against Nebraska in the opener of the Big 12 tournament, Self, “challenged his (Rush’s) manhood,” according to teammate Darrell Arthur. In the four games since that, Rush has averaged 19.3 points and three assists.

“I was kind of shocked because I didn’t think I played that bad at first,” Rush said of the halftime challenge from his coach. “But looking over the tape, I did play pretty bad, and I deserved what he called me a few times.”

A junior who will enter his name for eligibility in the NBA Draft after this season, Rush has a maximum of four college games remaining. He insisted he will stay tuned in.

“He doesn’t need to get on me anymore,” Rush said. “I’m done with that, with the halftime speech. I could sense another speech like that is going to come if I’m playing bad in the first half in any one of these games coming up.”

It worked, but Rush doesn’t want to hear it again.

“Ever since then he’s been playing great,” Arthur said. “He’s got a different look in his eyes, and he’s trying to score. He’s trying to go after the ball. He’s playing real well right now.”

If Rush doesn’t know the name of the building where KU will play if it wins two more, no need to tell him yet. He’s all about Villanova for now.