Four Kansas players have been named to the 2014-15 John R. Wooden Award preseason top 50. They are: Cliff Alexander, Perry Ellis, Kelly Oubre Jr. and Wayne Selden Jr.

Four known: Self said “don’t know yet” Monday when asked which player would join Ellis, Jamari Traylor, Frank Mason III and Selden in tonight’s starting lineup. Brannen Greene was the fifth starter in the opener vs. UC Santa Barbara. Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk and Devonté Graham each had a start in exhibition action.

On Willie: KU was not heavily involved in the recruitment of Kentucky 7-footer Willie Cauley-Stein, a junior from Olathe Northwest.

“I saw Willie some, saw him in the summers,” Self said. “His high school team was in the same league as Free State. I saw those games. He’s gotten so much better. He’s made tremendous improvement. He’s so athletic and active.

“Recruiting is an inexact science. Would we have loved to have him? Absolutely, no question. Of course, if we got him, we wouldn’t have gotten Jo Jo (Embiid) either. That’s how recruiting plays. I think he’s a terrific prospect and probably a lottery pick.”

Buffalo bummer: UK’s players say the Wildcats learned a lot from their 71-52 victory over Buffalo on Sunday in which the Cats trailed by five at halftime.

“It showed everybody, including myself, that we need to go out there and play with energy all the time, no matter who we’re playing. We just need to go out there and play for one another with energy,” UK’s Trey Lyles said.