photo by: Nick Krug

Kansas head coach Bill Self laughs as members of his team go down the line introducing themselves to Ladies Night Out attendees, Thursday, Oct. 22, 2015 at Allen Fieldhouse.

photo by: Nick Krug

Kansas head coach Bill Self laughs as members of his team go down the line introducing themselves to Ladies Night Out attendees, Thursday, Oct. 22, 2015 at Allen Fieldhouse.

Believe it or not, college basketball has almost arrived. Kansas coach Bill Self met with the media for his first weekly press conference of the 2015-16 season Monday afternoon at Allen Fieldhouse.

As the Jayhawks begin their year with an exhibition Wednesday night against Pittsburg State, Self discussed the health of his players, how preseason practices have gone, and what kind of expectations KU has for the months to come, with depth and talent all over the court.

Here are some of the highlights from the Q&A:

• After about a month of practices, Self is encouraged by the team’s experience, as well as flashes of KU playing the way they want to play. Discouraging, though, has been the players’ overall consistency and how they’ve handled the ball.

• From the end of last season to right now, both Perry Ellis and Frank Mason III have really improved. But Self hasn’t seen a big jump from an individual standpoint from a lot of KU’s players. Some of that could be health-related — Wayne Selden Jr.’s ankle and Brannen Greene’s hip. Fans will probably view Hunter Mickelson as very improved.

• Selden would tell you his ankle is fine, but you can tell it isn’t 100 percent yet. He hasn’t shown the same explosion as he did this summer.

• They don’t get together and meet about specific goals, but Mason is the kind of competitor that his goal would be to win every single game. Self’s goal, as always, is to get the team to reach its ceiling, potential wise.

• If Self were to split hairs with Ellis, he’d say Ellis could be more vocal. But the senior forward really gives KU almost all you could want out of a veteran player.

• Self hasn’t been thrilled with practices and he thinks some of it is boredom. The players are eager to play games (or exhibitions).

• Self is curious to see how the Jayhawks respond in their preseason opener, and if they can play aggressively and smart defensively, with a new emphasis on defense and more fouls getting called for contact.

photo by: Nick Krug

Red Team player Carlton Bragg delivers a dunk against Blue Team defender Cheick Diallo during Late Night in the Phog, Friday, Oct. 9, 2015 at Allen Fieldhouse.

• The coaches knew freshman big man Carlton Bragg would be terrific. He will be really good some nights and look bad other nights. Bragg is talented. He won’t play at KU four years.

• KU has six big guys, and they’re massaging them all and giving them all the same reps, mostly. That includes freshman Cheick Diallo, who still hasn’t been cleared to play college basketball. Self was hoping to hear the news by Wednesday night, but now he’s hopeful it’ll be before the regular-season opener the following week. Diallo won’t play in the exhibitions if KU hasn’t heard any news. “I think there’s a lot of processing going on right now.”

• “We’ve got as good a guard in the country,” (in Mason) to take advantage of the new rules emphasis. Mason’s quickness will make him harder to guard as more fouls are called.

• If there is no touching allowed on the perimeter, you can really drive the ball better, and that should be the case for KU with Mason, Selden and Devonté Graham.

• Senior big man Jamari Traylor has actually played better the last two weeks than he has at any point in his career. His energy will get him minutes, even with the depth KU has in the front court.

• KU needs Greene and Svi Mykhailiuk to come off the bench and knock down shots. But they need to be more than just shooters. Greene, in particular, needs to do more than just make three-pointers, because teams will guard him to get him out of his comfort zone.

• Svi has shot the ball well, showed an understanding on defense and had a good camp. But carelessness has been an issue. That might keep him from being completely confident in the sophomore’s play.

— Listen to the complete press conference: Bill Self on KU’s health, state of mind entering season