Kansas football coach Charlie Weis says he’s finishing some spring recruiting before his team returns to campus for summer conditioning. The Jayhawks are expecting a handful of junior-college players to report this summer — Weis said they’d come in three waves — and all members from the 2013 recruiting class are expected to be on campus by the end of the summer.

Weis also addressed a number of issues regarding his program. Those included the expected renovation at Memorial Stadium, with the removal of the track in the near future; in-state recruiting; and the perception of Kansas football after his first year on the job.

Q: Is there maybe a higher comfort level with you and your staff? You’ve been through a year in the Big 12 Conference (and) you’ve been through another session of spring ball. How is the comfort level?

Charlie Weis: Anytime you’ve been around … it all starts, when you come into a program, with infrastructure. You have to establish your infrastructure so you have everything sound. I believe there’s a way of doing business, and once you get everything set, it makes everything easier.

But still, at the end of the day, it’s all implementing new players and developing your current players and trying to win more football games.

Q: You mentioned infrastructure, from a facilities standpoint, what are your priorities, what would you like to see?

CW: I don’t complain too much about our facilities. Obviously, there’s going to be some form of renovation in the stadium done in the not-too-distant future. And as it happens, it happens. But what you can’t do, is sit there and use anything like that as a crux. Our practice facility is great. It’s not good, it’s great. That’s where we spend the majority of the time.

We all know that Memorial Stadium is gonna get a facelift, and whenever it happens, it happens.

Q: Where is your team right now, compared to where you want them in the fall?

CW: First of all, they finished finals and they’re far away from here right now. But I think that everything’s different this year. They’ve been through a year of this system. They’ve been (in the strength and conditioning program) for a year. They know our way of doing business now. There aren’t as many questions. There’s not a feeling-out process. The only ones you’re doing that with are the new guys you’re interjecting into your system.

Q: You moved the spring game up with the idea of being able to get out and see some junior college guys in action? Did you get out what you hoped to get out of that time?

CW: It was definitely a very good move, because a lot of the junior college spring games are the last week of April, and that was when we were playing our spring game (last year). So it gave us an opportunity to get (to those junior colleges).

And then we took the first week of May, and we hit the high schools really hard. And then actually, the next week, we took a week off and came back and watched all those tapes.

Q: You’ve been out on the road recruiting, have you seen the perception of Kansas football change over the last year?

CW: Well, there’s two factions when you say that. There’s one faction of high school kids and the other faction of junior college kids. I think we definitely got the attentions of the in-state high school kids, and that’s a good place to start. If you can’t get some of the best kids from your own state to jump on board, then you’re missing the boat. But I think that until you start winning on a regular basis, the high school kids from around the country aren’t going to be lining up, saying “God, I really want to go to Kansas.”

Now that mentality is totally different for a junior college guy, because a junior college guy wants to go somewhere where they can play right now.

Late last week, as the NBA’s top prospects assembled for the league’s draft combine in Chicago, former Kansas guard Ben McLemore expressed his desire to be the No. 1 pick in the draft.

It’s been decades since a true shooting guard went No. 1 overall. (Depending on how you categorize Allen Iverson, you probably have to go back to David Thompson in 1975.) And McLemore would be the first Jayhawk to go first overall since Danny Manning in 1988. But does McLemore have a chance?

The NBA Draft lottery took place on Tuesday night, and the Cleveland Cavaliers walked away with the top pick for the second time in three years. Last season, the Cavs used the No. 4 overall pick on former Syracuse shooting guard Dion Waiters (he averaged 14.7 points in 61 games), while point guard Kyrie Irving continues to emerge as one of the league’s best young players.

So perhaps the Cavaliers will find McLemore appealing, but they certainly don’t have a gaping hole at the guard spot.

After Tuesday’s lottery, draft expert Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com projected McLemore to go No. 2 to the Orlando Magic, while ESPN’s Chad Ford pegged McLemore to go No. 4 to the Charlotte Bobcats. Both Givony and Ford projected former Kentucky center Nerlens Noel to go No. 1 overall.

(Meanwhile, Givony projects former KU center Jeff Withey to go No. 22 overall to the Brooklyn Nets, and former MU guard Phil Pressey to go to Atlanta with the 50th pick.)

If McLemore doesn’t go to Cleveland, here are four other places he could land.

No. 2 Orlando Magic

A possibility, mostly because the Magic, coached by former KU guard Jacque Vaughn, has holes all over its roster. Arron Afflalo, a 27-year-old shooting guard, led the Magic with 16.5 points per game last season.

No. 3 Washington Wizards

Probably not a great fit. The Wizards selected shooting guard Brad Beal (McLemore’s old AAU teammate in St. Louis) in the first round last year.

No. 4 Charlotte Bobcats

The perpetually moribund Bobcats are still looking for a spark. Kemba Walker hasn’t been able to lift the franchise. And the Bobcats have few answers … inside or out.

No. 5 Phoenix Suns

If McLemore would slide outside the top four, he could become teammates with former Jayhawks Marcus and Markieff Morris.

Did we mention Kansas will have five new starters next season?

Self, of course, is optimistic that the challenging schedule will accelerate the learning curve of a young team. But for now, here’s a breakdown of the Jayhawks’ non-conference schedule in 2013-14:

Date (Day) – Opponent, Site

Nov. 8 (Friday) – LOUISIANA-MONROE, Lawrence, Kan.

Louisiana-Monroe finished 4-23 overall and 3-17 in the Sun Belt Conference last season. Kansas won the only all-time meeting with ULM, topping the Redhawks 107-78 on Nov. 9, 2007, at Allen Fieldhouse.

Nov. 12 (Tuesday) – Duke, Chicago, Ill. (Champions Classic, United Center)

Duke loses seniors Mason Plumlee, Seth Curry and Ryan Kelly, but there should be plenty of future pros on the floor at the United Center this November. In the third Champions Classic, Kentucky will take on Michigan State in a matchup of likely top-five teams. And then there’s Duke and Kansas. Junior point guard Quinn Cook and sophomore guard Rasheed Sulaimon return, while incoming freshman (and former SI cover boy) Jabari Parker will return to his hometown.

Nov. 19 (Tuesday) – IONA, Lawrence, Kan.

The first of some difficult mid-major tests. Iona won the MAAC tournament and advanced to the NCAA Tournament last season, losing to Ohio State in the opening round. The Gaels have won 20 games the last four seasons.

Nov. 22 (Friday) – TOWSON, Lawrence, Kan.

Towson had the largest turnaround in NCAA history last season, finishing 18-13 in 2012-13 after skidding to a 1-31 record in 2011-12. Fun fact: Incoming KU guard Frank Mason nearly chose Towson out of high school before spending a year at a prep school and committing to KU.

Nov. 28-30, Battle 4 Atlantis (Three games), Paradise Island, Bahamas

The field: Villanova, Tennessee, Iowa, UTEP, Xavier, USC and Wake Forest. Tennessee, Villanova and Iowa would all be tough draws, while UTEP continues to build under former Iowa State coach Tim Floyd.

Dec. 7 (Saturday) – at Colorado, Boulder, Colo.

The Buffaloes suffered a major blow when leading rebounder Andre Roberson, a junior forward, left early for the NBA Draft. Still, leading scorer Spencer Dinwiddie is back for his junior season under CU coach Tad Boyle, a former KU guard. The Jayhawks have won 21 straight against Colorado, a former Big 12 foe, including a 90-54 win in Allen Fieldhouse last season.

Dec. 10 (Tuesday) – at Florida, Gainesville, Fla.

If there’s a game that wasn’t anticipated, it’s this one. The new Big 12-SEC challenge came together in the last year or so, and the Jayhawks were matched up with a Florida squad coming off an appearance in the Elite Eight. The Gators lost their three leading scorers — Kenny Boynton, Mike Rosario and Erik Murphy — but Billy Donovan adds five-star freshman forward Chris Walker to go along with senior Patric Young.

Dec. 14 (Saturday) – NEW MEXICO, Kansas City, Mo. (Sprint Center)

Here’s what the Lobos lost: Head coach Steve Alford to UCLA, and junior guard Tony Snell (12.5 ppg) to the NBA Draft. Here’s what they have: Leading scorer Kendall Williams (13.3 points), 7-footer Alex Kirk and assistant-turned-head coach Craig Neal. Add it up, and New Mexico will likely be favored to defend its Mountain West title.

Dec. 21 (Saturday) – GEORGETOWN, Lawrence, Kan.

Another team that lost an early entry to the NBA, the Hoyas will explore life without forward Otto Porter Jr. Georgetown will likely begin the season outside the top 25, but they won’t be too far away.

Dec. 30 (Monday) – TOLEDO, Lawrence, Kan.

The Rockets posted a 15-13 overall record and a 10-6 mark in the Mid-America Conference last season. KU owned its only meeting with Toledo, a 68-58 victory on Dec. 9, 2006, at Kemper Arena.

Jan. 5 (Sunday) – SAN DIEGO STATE, Lawrence, Kan.

This is a San Diego State program that finished 23-11 and handled Oklahoma in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament last season. By this point, with conference season right around the corner, the young Jayhawks will certainly be tested.

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2013/05/03/4215611/breaking-down-kansas-non-conference.html#storylink=cpy

When Kansas freshman Ben McLemore declared for the NBA Draft on April 9, he became just the third Jayhawk to leave school after just one season in Lawrence. (The others: Xavier Henry and Josh Selby)

McLemore’s decision was expected… and sound. He is a projected top-five pick (maybe even higher) and actually spent two seasons at Kansas after taking a redshirt for academic reasons in 2011-12.

Rio Adams, the Kansas freshman guard who had second thoughts about transferring last week, will not return to the Jayhawks for the 2013-14 season.

KU coach Bill Self said in a statement that he and Adams met Monday and “together we’ve come to the conclusion that it is in his best interest to pursue other opportunities and go to a place where he has the chance to really impact a program and, preferably, a school that is closer to home. This will allow him to redshirt and have another year to work toward graduating.”

TREY BURKE

This game is as closely matched as maybe any we’ve seen in the NCAA Tournament so far, and Kansas vs. Michigan in the NCAA Tournament’s South Regional semifinals (6:37 p.m., TBS) could be one for the ages. Usually you can get a feel among the media types at the tourney on which way the wind is blowing, but nobody has a clue on this one.

Here’s 5 things to look for from Michigan, with plenty of links – and my feature on Michigan guard Trey Burke that ran in today’s Eagle.

1. Guard play is key

Michigan has a great trio of guards in Trey Burke, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Nik Stauskas — as good as any KU saw in the Big 12 this year, and there’s some who think Burke might be the best player in the country. The biggest question for KU is going to be who guards Burke, and the answer might be everybody at one time or another. All three average in double digits, and Hardaway Jr. and Stauskas are big enough to be effective taking the ball to the hole and banging for rebounds when they have to.

2. Beilein’s time? 

Michigan coach John Beilein might be the best coach in the country who has never been to a Final Four. This is Beilein’s 8th trip to the NCAA Tournament – he’s also been with Canisius (1996), Richmond (1998) and West Virginia (2005, 2006). He made the Elite Eight with West Virginia in 2005 before losing to Louisville in overtime.

3. McGary’s momentum

Power forward Mitch McGary wears the same number as another famous Wolverine who once played his position. The freshman, who was a teammate of Kansas guard Naadir Tharpe at Brewster (N.H.) Academy, has moved into the starting lineup for both NCAA Tournament games and is averaging 17.5 points and 11.5 rebounds in NCAA play. No, I’m not comparing him to C-Webb. But he’s an up-and-comer – a future All-Big Ten pick in my opinion.

4. Depth

Is depth an issue for Michigan? They haven’t been getting much out of their bench so far in the NCAA Tournament – just 5 points in 55 minutes – but they’ve also cruised to two blowout wins.

5. History

Is history on Michigan’s side? The Wolverines haven’t been to the Final Four since the Fab Five made it in 1993* and lost to Duke in the NCAA championship game. It took a long time for Big Blue to get back to this point, and the rigors of a Big Ten Schedule seem to have them acutely prepared for a big game like this.

TA

I’m inside of Cowboys Stadium for a full day of press with the four teams here for the South Regional semifinals and finals – Michigan plays Kansas on Friday at 6:37 p.m. followed by Florida-Florida Gulf Coast, which I don’t expect to tip before 9:30. The winners play Sunday for a trip to the Final Four next week in Atlanta.

Here’s Twitter links for The Eagle’s duo in Dallas – KU beat writer Rustin Dodd (@rustindodd) and myself (@t_adame) – as always, we’ll provide plenty of updates. Eagle photog Bo Rader is also with us, but he doesn’t have Twitter.

A couple of thoughts, links to get you through until the big games start tonight.

-With a heavyweight clash against Michigan coming up, the Jayhawks desperately need leading scorer Ben McLemore to shake off his shooting/scoring/everything slump that he’s been in and return to the form that made him an All-Big 12 pick and possible No. 1 selection in the NBA Draft. The one play everyone was talking about from last Sunday’s win over North Carolina in the Sprint Center was an alley-oop to McLemore to start the second half. It was a set play, and McLemore came wide open on the backside lob. He grabbed the ball what seemed like a foot above the rim and he did this thing where he tried to lay it up/lay it on the rim’s backstop. It was like he didn’t know what to do at that moment. Such a strange thing to see, but I think it underlines his struggles. Even when he’s in the right spot, he’s doing the wrong thing.

-There were over 108,000 people that watched the 2010 NBA All-Star game at Cowboys Stadium – a record – so the mere 42,000+ expected for tomorrow’s games must seem like a pittance to the stadium staff. They’ll up that number considerably for next year’s Final Four, when they’ll try to fit in over 80,000. The thing is, KU is getting pretty used to playing in these huge football stadiums – two games last year in the Final Four at the Superdome in New Orleans and one earlier this year.

Here’s our schedule for open practices today in Arlington

12-1250 Michigan, 1-150 FGCU aka Dunk City, 210-3 KU, 310-4 Florida.

I’ll check back in with Michigan stuff after the pressers.

TA  

No. 1 seed Kansas was supposed to be in the Sweet 16; No. 9 seed Wichita State was not. But together, the two schools have pulled off something that hasn’t been accomplished since 1988: Two Kansas schools in the Sweet 16. (KU and K-State faced off in the Elite Eight in 1988.)

When KU coach Bill Self was asked about Wichita State’s surprise victory over No. 1 seed Gonzaga, he responded with some textbook wit — the kind that might also strike a tender nerve.

“I’m happy for the Shockers. I’m excited for them,” Self said, smiling. “But that doesn’t mean we’re going to play them.

“That was a joke. Because I knew that would be the next question.”

So yes, even after Wichita State’s second Sweet 16 appearance in eight years, Self and the Jayhawks are holding true to their word. Don’t expect any KU-Wichita State showdowns in the near future.