Kansas guard Sherron Collins gets the Fieldhouse crowd on its feet after a put-back dunk by center Cole Aldrich during the second half.

Kansas University senior Sherron Collins reported via his Twitter account Wednesday that he’s in Las Vegas working out twice a day in preparation for the 2010 NBA Draft.

He’s in Glitter City — following the regimen of a personal trainer — with the approval of KU coach Bill Self, who said Collins’ academic situation is in order. The 5-foot-11 point guard is still slated to graduate this May.

“He needs to be in a place where he’s working out daily where they (trainers) are monitoring his progress,” Self said Wednesday night. “I don’t see this as a negative at all. He has completed almost everything academically. He has to fulfill a couple (academic) responsibilities that we visited with his agent about, which he will do.

“Him being gone these next few weeks will not hurt him (nor will it affect KU’s APR rating). I don’t see any negativity in him being in Vegas working out. The only thing I am disappointed in is I think he has missed a great opportunity — a couple special moments with his teammates and individually,” Self added.

He was referring to Collins not only missing Monday night’s KU basketball banquet — he spent the day in Chicago signing with his agent — but also skipping the three-point-shooting contest, Naismith Awards ceremony and autograph session for NABC All-Americans in Indianapolis over Final Four weekend. Collins also chose to not attend the Wooden Awards ceremony last week in Los Angeles.

“He’s finished his school obligations that he had to finish,” Self said. “(But) it’s extremely disappointing he was not with us (Monday) and did not attend the awards ceremonies in Indianapolis and in L.A.

“It’s up to the individual (whether they attend the ceremonies in which travel costs are paid with the approval of the NCAA). He told us he had some things going on where he couldn’t get there.

“It’s not like he stood anybody up,” Self stressed. “He told us he had some pressing things and couldn’t be there. They were all aware there would be a chance he would not be there (for the various events).”

Self reiterated that Collins’ missing KU’s awards banquet was unfortunate.

“We were all disappointed, and everybody in attendance was, too,” Self said of KU’s basketball players and assistant coaches, as well as 600 Jayhawk supporters at the Holidome. “It would have been a special night. It would have been a great memory for him, as would have been the Wooden Awards and being involved at the awards ceremony in Indy. He had some things going on he felt were more important. He missed out on these opportunities that I think he’ll look back over time and maybe wish he’d been there because I think in time they’ll mean a lot to him.”

Self wanted to make clear that those disappointments “are over. He’s in Vegas now, and that’s where he needs to be with his people working out (with Impact Basketball’s Joe Abunassar) and getting in shape (for NBA Draft workouts with individual teams).”

Collins should be back in Kansas in coming weeks for some “barnstorming tour” events throughout the state.

Knight picks UK: Brandon Knight, a 6-3 guard from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on Wednesday chose Kentucky over KU, Florida, UConn and Syracuse on ESPNU. KU hopes to land one or two players Saturday. No. 4-ranked Josh Selby and No. 21-rated Doron Lamb will announce their college choices at the Jordan Brand Classic in New York (7 p.m., Madison Square Garden, ESPN2).

This, that: Rutgers has granted sophomore guard Mike Rosario a conditional release from his letter of intent. The former high school teammate of KU’s Tyshawn Taylor cannot transfer to any Big East school and no school on Rutgers’ schedule, Zagsblog.com reported. Florida may be his leader. … Foxsports.com says Cole Aldrich will tap Jeff Schwartz of Excel Sports as his agent. Schwartz represents Aldrich’s good buddy, Kevin Love of the Minnesota Timberwolves.