Down the line, however, the KU senior guard may have designs on leading the Jayhawk football team to a bowl game.

Lee, a 6-foot-3, 215-pound former high school football standout from Portland (Ore.) Jefferson High, next fall may ask Mark Mangino for a walk-on spot on KU’s football team.

“Hopefully I’ll have an opportunity to play with somebody overseas or get a couple of workouts (for NBA teams). If not, I’ll come back to school — my scholarship covers five years –and maybe play football,” said Lee. “If basketball doesn’t work out, I might as well.”

Lee, who likely would try out for strong safety at KU, played tight end, wide receiver, halfback, quarterback, kicker and long snapper in high school.

He didn’t receive any major-college offers to play football because he made it clear he would entertain hoops-only offers.

“We won the city championship my senior year with a quarterback who can’t throw past 15 yards,” Lee quipped of former Jefferson High quarterback/KU point guard Aaron Miles. “That’s an accomplishment in itself.”

Lee — his dad was a three-sport athlete in college — said he hadn’t asked KU football coach Mangino his thoughts on the matter.

“When I see coach Mangino I say, ‘How are you doing coach Mangino?’ That’s all I say,” Lee said. “Aaron knows, and my teammates know. But that’s a long way off. I’m not thinking about that now. I like football, but that truly is a whole different realm.”

Mangino said he would be open to the idea — but not until Lee took care of his basketball duties this year.

“When Michael completes his eligibility, he can come talk to me, and I’ll be receptive to what he has to say,” Mangino said Wednesday. “But for now, I want him to focus on winning a national title for the basketball team.”

Ditto Lee.

“It’s what I dedicated myself to all summer,” he said. “Doing everything I can to graduate and win a national title.”

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Galindo update: KU coach Bill Self said freshman Alex Galindo would not take a red-shirt season. Galindo hasn’t been able to practice because of a groin pull.

“The thing with a red shirt is we can’t red-shirt him. He played in Canada (in four exhibition games),” Self said. “It has to be a medical hardship. I’d say right now, no, unless it’s something that drags on an extended period of time.”

Photo Gallery: Big 12 Media Day No. 5 guy still unknown Woodling: Langford’s personality one-in-a-million Lee considering football career 2004 KU Media Day

Galindo has been shooting on the side and participating in individual drills and is listed as “day-to-day.”

“It’s not a Wayne groin,” Self said, referring to the injury that slowed Wayne Simien last year. “He will get healthy. My concern is he’s missed so many reps it’ll be more difficult for him to be ready to play games in late November than if he was out there the whole time.”

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Bill familiar with Bill: New Texas A&M coach Bill Gillispie was on Bill Self’s staff at both Tulsa and Illinois and, Gillispie said, “I learned more from him than anybody. I’ve learned things for a lot of people, but If I had to name one guy, it would be coach Self.”

Gillispie on Self: “He cheats at golf. No … he’s a person people like to be around. He makes you feel at ease, and it’s not a fake deal. And he’s a fierce competitor. I think he still owes me money from the last time we played golf.”

On the Aggies’ date with Kansas on Jan. 5 in Allen Fieldhouse. “I’ve never been there, but I hear they have a good home-court advantage. Bill and I are good friends, but we probably won’t be on Jan. 5.”

On Self’s advice about accepting the rebuilding job at A&M: “He said it’s a no-brainer because of the area you have to recruit. He definitely thinks this is a place where you can do well, but it’ll take time.”

How close are the two? The good buddies headed for St. Louis after Media Day to attend Game 4 of the World Series.

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Shoulder repair: What do KU’s Wayne Simien and Oklahoma’s Kevin Bookout have in common? Both missed about half of their sophomore seasons because of a shoulder injury.

“We talked about that at Nike camp this summer,” Bookout said of his conversation with Simien. “He said if I ever needed anything to call him. He told me to look on the positive side, not at the negatives.”

Simien recalled the meeting with Bookout, saying, “I just told him how good I’m feeling and how it hasn’t bothered me since.”

Added Bookout: “We didn’t talk a whole lot. We missed a year with it.”

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Point-guard points: Oklahoma coach Kelvin Sampson, talking about point guard Drew Lavender leading the Sooners in scoring last season: “Lavender can’t be your leading scorer. It’d be like Aaron Miles being KU’s leading scorer. That’s a problem.”

Technically, Lavender was not OU’s leading scorer. Jason Detrick averaged 11.4 points a game and Lavender 11.3.

Sampson on 6-8 junior-college transfer Taj Gray, who played high school ball at Wichita East: “Taj’s greatest strength is when the ball is shot he thinks (the rebound) is his.”

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Quin speaks: Missouri’s Quin Snyder said it about his drive from Columbia, Mo. “I fought through the fog — not the Phog down the road in Lawrence, but the stuff on I-70.”

On talent in the Big 12: “I think Joey Graham (Oklahoma State) is the best player in the league. If you say Wayne Simien, you will not get much of an argument from me. Wayne probably will do to us what he did in the tournament.”

Simien scored 31 off 12-of-14 shooting against MU in a 94-69 win in the Big 12 tourney.

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Simien solid as rock: KU’s Simien said he felt fit and was not worried about injuries his final season.

“I am definitely not going to pump the brakes at all worried about getting hurt. This is it for me. This is the last year,” Simien said.

Of Simien, Self gushed: “He’s a very mature guy who almost seems too good to be true. He doesn’t feel he has to impress anybody. He’d rather talk about his spiritual walk than preseason awards.

“He is totally at peace with himself. My wife says, ‘Gosh almighty, does he ever have a bad day? Is he ever not polite? Does he ever not open the door for somebody? Has he ever not said thank you? Ever been late? Ever miss a class? Does he ever do anything negative?’ The answer of course is yes, but we don’t know about it. He doesn’t have bad days.”

Sports editor Chuck Woodling and sports writer Ryan Wood contributed to this story.