Kansas notebook: Former Jayhawk Quintrell Thomas potential foe down line for KU

Quintrell Thomas, who played sparingly for Kansas University during the 2008-09 season before transferring to UNLV, said Sunday he’d welcome a potential second-round NCAA Tournament game against the Jayhawks.

“I like it. That’s definitely a good chance to go against them. I’ve kind of wanted that since I’ve been here,” Thomas, a 6-foot-8, 245-pound sophomore from Newark, N.J., told lasvegassun.com.

Thomas, who has started 25 of 32 games for the Rebels, averages 6.6 points and 5.2 boards a game.

“That’s one thing we might have to explore a little bit because they play two true big men at a time. But I think we match up well with them,” Thomas said. “We have really athletic guards. They have really athletic guards, so we should match up well.”

Thomas — he indicated he “hasn’t talked to them (Jayhawks) recently, but before, I did” — said there are no hard feelings toward KU.

“I’ve long moved on,” Thomas said. “While I was there, I was a little upset, but once I was gone, everything was cool.”

Buffs overlooked

KU coach Bill Self believes Colorado should have made the field of 68.

“I’m shocked. I feel awful for Tad,” Self said of CU coach/KU grad Tad Boyle. “They have six wins against RPI top 50. We are the third-best league. They are 8-8 in the league and beat K-State three times and Texas. Those two teams have a chance to be Final Four teams. Somebody is gonna have a gripe every year. I’d say from my standpoint, and I am a little biased, Colorado has reason to gripe as much as anybody.”

Texas underrated?

Self said Texas deserved better than a No. 4 seed.

“I thought Texas would be a 2 seed after yesterday,” he said. KU beat Texas, 85-73, in Saturday’s Big 12 title game in Sprint Center.

“You are talking about a team most people three weeks ago thought was the best team in the country. Just because they lose games, which the law of averages caught up, teams do lose … we played our tails off, and it’s an eight-point game late in the second half.”

Selection Sunday dinner

The Jayhawks dined on barbecue while watching the Selection Sunday show on CBS. There was little reaction when KU’s No. 1 seed was announced.

“We’re excited. Maybe we don’t show our emotions as much as other teams, but we’re glad to be where we are at,” Tyrel Reed said.

“Also, I don’t think we knew we were going to be on,” he said of the time CBS-TV cameras focused on the Jayhawks in their dining hall. “It was all delayed and stuff.”

Scouting

KU already has tape on its first-round foe, Boston U., as well as UNLV and Illinois. Self said assistant Danny Manning would have the scout on Boston, Joe Dooley on UNLV and Kurtis Townsend on Illinois.

“I’ll probably spend tomorrow watching the potential second round (foe). Come Tuesday, my focus will be Boston, on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday. You have to focus on the big picture. You have to go win a a two-game tournament. I’d rather put all my focus on the immediate opponent two to three days prior to playing them.”