That’s the 103-73 KU rout in which, Lee, Kansas University’s junior guard from Portland, Ore., shot 0-for-4 and scored zero points with an assist, a turnover and two steals in 16 minutes.

“After that last game, I really wanted to talk to coach (Bill Self). I felt there was something he wanted from me that I wasn’t bringing,” Lee said.

Lee learned at last Wednesday’s meeting that KU’s first-year coach expects a lot out of Lee, a 6-foot-3, 215-pounder who emerged as KU’s sixth man a year ago.

“I never really got myself involved (in Pitt State game). He didn’t feel I was playing to my potential. I felt the same way,” Lee said.

“Coach Self wants me to come out and play as hard as I can every play and bring intangibles to the game as far as diving on the floor and energy in being a vocal leader.”

Both Lee and Jeff Hawkins, who are battling for the starting two-guard spot, are “doing well,” Self said.

He wouldn’t indicate which would start Friday’s season opener against UT Chattanooga. Tipoff is 7:05 p.m. at Allen Fieldhouse.

“I think they are both playing with more confidence, especially Michael. Michael is starting to turn the corner,” Self said. “He is more confident. He is starting to understand me a little bit better, and he’s shooting the ball with more confidence than before.”

Coincidentally, a turning point for Lee last season followed a meeting with Roy Williams, who was miffed at Lee after a lethargic effort at practice after the Jayhawks’ two losses at the Preseason NIT in New York.

Williams told Lee it looked like he “didn’t even want to be on the court,” Lee recalled. “From that point on I stopped making excuses.”

Lee said he was ready to earn his minutes again this season.

“I have to take on more of a leadership role,” he said. “In the past we’ve been under this big umbrella, Kirk (Hinrich) and Nick (Collison). When something went wrong, the pressure was on them. Now when something goes wrong, the young guys will look at us.”

• Friday’s foe: KU Friday will begin a 2-for-1 series with UT Chattanooga, which returns three starters and seven lettermen off last year’s 21-9 team.

The Mocs will receive $30,000 this year for playing the game. KU will net $30,000 next year in traveling to Chattanooga, Tenn., with the Mocs receiving $40,000 in the final year of the deal.

No date has been set for next year’s game, leading to some speculation KU ultimately might try to buy out of the contest. The series was set up as a favor of Roy Williams to coach Jeff Lebo, like Williams a North Carolina grad.

• Unofficial visitor Tuesday: Joe Krabbenhoft, a 6-foot-7 junior forward from Roosevelt High in Sioux Falls, S.D., will make an unofficial visit to KU for Tuesday’s KU-Michigan State game. He has a list of KU, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Notre Dame, Creighton and North Carolina State. He told rivals.com: “Those are the schools I’m focused on right now. If more schools get involved later on, that’s something I will consider.”
• Quite a streak: KU has won 30 straight home openers, last losing to Vanderbilt, 72-64, Dec. 2, 1972. Self was asked about the win streak by a media member at his weekly news conference.

“Since I’ve had the job here, I haven’t felt any pressure until you made that one statement,” Self quipped. “It’s a very nice streak. It certainly needs to continue, but we’re going to have to play well for that to occur.”

• All plays in: Self said the Jayhawks had been briefed on his entire playbook.

“We have had a lot of stuff in, we just weren’t going to run any of it in exhibition games,” Self said. “We’ve got most of the stuff in that will last us until Christmas. Then we have a break where we’ll add other stuff that gets you ready for conference. We’ll add a wrinkle here and there, but for the most part, the nuts and bolts are in.”