Kansas guard Wayne Selden Jr. (1) and Evan Manning, right, run off court after the Jayhawks 73-51 win Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2015 at United Supermarkets Arena.

Wayne Selden Jr.’s mother, Lavette, did not tell her 20-year-old son to go get a haircut.

“She insinuated it a couple times, gave me hints,” said Selden.

His late January trip to the barber shop coincided with mom’s visit to Lawrence before the Kansas University-Kansas State basketball game on Jan. 31.

The 6-foot-5, 230-pound sophomore guard, who entered that game a 36 percent marksman from beyond the three-point arc, hit three of six threes with Lavette in the Allen Fieldhouse stands.

Again, with mom on hand, the clean-cut Selden swished five of seven treys against Iowa State two days later.

Selden has continued his sweet-shooting ways since Lavette’s return to Roxbury, Massachusetts. He cashed four of five threes against Oklahoma State last Saturday and four of seven against Texas Tech on Tuesday. That’s 16 makes in his last 25 threes, good for 64 percent.

“Family can do that. Family can change a lot of things. My mom came and things have been better for me personally ever since, on and off the court,” Selden said. “I’m feeling pretty confident in my game now.

“She doesn’t have to say much. Just being around her, having her presence is really big for me,” added Selden, whose mom also attended the Oct. 10 Late Night in the Phog.

“She’s calling me a grown man now, which I don’t think I’m there yet,” Selden said with a smile.

Selden averages an even 10.0 points a game off 37.6 percent shooting — 43.0 from three — entering Saturday’s noon battle against Baylor.

“It’s just him getting confidence. It’s just him getting in the gym and getting a lot of reps,” KU coach Bill Self said. “Everybody goes through phases where you don’t play as well, your confidence is a little rattled, and you’ve just got to try to find your way to grind through it, and the best way to grind through it is to see the ball go in the hole, and the best way you do that is through repetition. He is shooting it a lot better, but I don’t think he ever shot it as bad as what a lot of people assumed outside the arc. It was mainly inside the arc. His two-point shooting wasn’t very good.”

Selden said extra reps indeed have helped.

“Extra time in the gym, getting shots up, that’s the biggest thing,” Selden said. “I didn’t really change my shot selection at all. My shot selection is basically shooting when I’m open.”

Self thinks making threes will help him finish the inside shots he’s been missing, following strong drives.

“Wayne is at a point in his career and with his game where he can become more complete than he ever has been because now he can use his shot to set up getting inside people whereas before he was just probably looking to shoot the ball. I’m excited for him,” Self said.

Selden’s teammates have noticed his improvement.

“He cut his hair. He’s been pretty good since he cut his hair,” sophomore Landen Lucas said, grinning. “He’s been working on it (shot) throughout the season. Recently I think his confidence has skyrocketed. That’s the big difference, really.”

Embiid looking good: Selden spent some time with Philadelphia 76ers rookie Joel Embiid Wednesday. Embiid will attend the Baylor game as well as Nick Collison (OKC), Ben McLemore (Sacramento), Tyshawn Taylor (Puerto Rican pro league) and perhaps other ex-Jayhawks.

“He’s looking good. He’s moving all right. I don’t want to talk too much about him. I don’t know what I’m supposed to say and not supposed to say,” Selden said of 7-foot Embiid, out all season following foot surgery.

Kyle made it on TV: Several KU basketball players, including Selden and Tyler Self, helped Southwest’s Kyle Portela snare an appearance on ESPN’s Sports Center. Portela, 14, who was diagnosed with cerebral palsy when he was 3 1/2 months old, scored four points in a recent SW win. KU’s players had several Tweets with the hashtag “GetKyleonSportscenter” and indeed ESPN complied.

“It was good,” Selden said of the ESPN appearance. “I heard he’s coming to the game Saturday. We’re looking forward to that. Hopefully he gets back in the locker room and hangs out with the guys a bit.”

To read the J-W story on Portela go to the Web address http://ljw.bz/1Fgq4Kx

Cliff starting: Self said Cliff Alexander will make his second straight start against Baylor, with Jamari Traylor coming off the bench.

“Cliff will be in the starting lineup moving forward as long as nothing changes, but you just never know what’s going on or how ebbs and flows go, but I thought he played pretty well the other night,” Self said of a 10-point, four-block outing at Texas Tech.

“That’s what our team I feel like needs to be as good as we can be later on is develop more of an inside presence, rim protector, defensive rebounder, whatever that means.”

Interview: KU coach Self will be featured on CBS Sports’ “NCAA Men of March” at 11:30 a.m., Saturday. An encore presentation of the show will air on CBS Sports Network (www.cbssportsnetwork.com) at 6 p.m., Monday.