Final Four floor heading to KU

The 2008 Final Four floor soon will belong to Kansas University’s athletic department.

KU has made arrangements to purchase the portable surface used at the San Antonio Alamodome for just three games – KU’s national semifinal victory over North Carolina, Memphis’ semifinal win against UCLA and KU’s title victory over Memphis.

“We’ll probably do something similar to what we did with the old floor at Allen Fieldhouse we took up two or three years ago, have it cut in pieces and sold as replicas of the tournament (on kustore.com),” KU senior associate athletic director Larry Keating said.

Keating, who estimated the cost of the Final Four floor at about $35,000, indicated the center circle of the court might be put on display in the Booth Family Hall of Athletics.

“There’s been a lot of interest (from KU fans). People know this is something that can be done,” Keating said of the Final Four champion school getting the opportunity to purchase the floor from Connor Sport Court International. “So many (fans) have already asked about buying a piece of the floor, we feel it’ll be worth it.”

Keating said KU hasn’t considered using the Final Four floor as the surface in the new practice facility that will be constructed next to Horejsi Center.

“We’ll duplicate the floor in Allen in the new practice facility,” he said.

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KU, BU to meet: Add Belmont University to KU’s 2008-09 basketball schedule. The Jayhawks will meet the Bruins on Nov. 21 in Allen Fieldhouse.

The Bruins return four starters from a 25-9 team that fell to Duke, 71-70, in a first-round 2008 NCAA Tournament game in Washington, D.C. Coach Rick Byrd’s Bruins have won three straight Atlantic Sun postseason tourney titles. Belmont is located in Nashville, Tenn.

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Dates of games: Dates of KU’s marquee nonconference men’s basketball games have been revealed.

The Jayhawks will play Temple on Dec. 20 and Tennessee on Jan. 3 in Allen Fieldhouse. KU will travel to Arizona on Dec. 23 and Michigan State on Jan. 10.

Also, KU will meet Massachusetts on Dec. 13 at the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Mo. KU also will play Missouri-Kansas City on either Nov. 16 or 18 in an early-round College Basketball Experience Tournament game in Allen Fieldhouse. KU will meet Washington in a CBE semifinal on Nov. 24 in Sprint Center. Florida and Syracuse will play in the other semi, with the finals and consolation finals the following night.

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Canada slate: KU’s schedule for its Labor Day weekend trip to Canada has been finalized.

The Jayhawks will play the first game of a day/night doubleheader against McGill University at 11 a.m., Saturday, Aug. 30, at University of Ottawa’s 1,000-seat Montpetit Hall in Ottawa, Ontario. KU will face Carleton University at 7 p.m., Aug. 30, at 20,500-seat Scotiabank Place, home of the Ottawa Senators hockey team.

KU will tangle with University of Ottawa at 7 p.m. Aug. 31, back in University of Ottawa’s campus building. There are no plans to televise the games at this time.

A vacation package for the games is available at travellersinc.com.

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Self camp: The 2008 Bill Self Summer Basketball Camp has openings in the June 8-12 and June 15-19 sessions (ages 8-19). For more information, log onto billselfbasketballcamp.com.

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Udoh on move: Epke Udoh, a 6-foot-10, 240-pound power forward who just completed his sophomore year at the University of Michigan, has decided to transfer and has Kansas State on his list of possible schools.

Udoh told the Daily Oklahoman he is considering Oklahoma State, Oklahoma, K-State, Baylor, Arkansas and Texas A&M.

Udoh, who averaged six points and five rebounds while starting 24 games at Michigan his sophomore season, is friends with former Edmond (Okla.) Santa Fe High teammate Obi Muonelo of Oklahoma State.

“It would be fun to play with him (Muonelo) again,” Udoh told the Oklahoman. “We’ve played (together) our whole lives, but it has to be what’s best for me.”