“We’ve got four guys that are all about the same. Nobody has really emerged yet,” KU coach Bill Self said Wednesday, asked at Big 12 Media Day who would open next to Wayne Simien in the frontcourt — Christian Moody, C.J. Giles, Darnell Jackson or Sasha Kaun.

“I think it’ll be by committee. I do,” Self said. “I can’t see anybody just stepping up and being a guy that is going to play 25 to 30 minutes a game in that spot.”

The likeliest scenario is for one of KU’s highly touted freshmen — Giles, Jackson or Kaun — to earn the fifth starting spot in a lineup otherwise set with Simien, Keith Langford, Aaron Miles and J.R. Giddens. The freshmen, however, have been suffering growing pains in preseason camp.

“It’s kind of a different guy in practice, and a lot of times it’s a different guy throughout each practice,” Self said. “Our freshmen don’t consistently play hard yet, and really don’t know how to. Sasha, Darnell and C.J. take turns being the best one. A lot of times who is the best one goes drill-to-drill.”

Giles, 6-foot-10, 220 pounds from Seattle, has missed a couple practices because of a case of shin splints.

“C.J. has length and the athletic ability to change shots and run the floor,” Big 12 Preseason Player of the Year Simien said. “Darnell is pretty much a banger and workhorse, and Sasha a hard worker who does nice things as well. No one has set themselves apart. Like coach says, overall it’s even.”

“Every day somebody steps up and has a good practice. There’s a lot of inconsistency right now,” senior guard Michael Lee said.

Simien says he has no preference who joins him on the boards.

“No. As long as they play hard it’s all that really matters,” he said. “We don’t show favorites. Coach doesn’t show favorites, just come out and play hard do what coach asks you to do and that’s it.”

Self said he did not envision starting an extra perimeter player in frosh guard Russell Robinson, who has been quite impressive the first two weeks of practice.

“I won’t say it won’t happen. I can’t see it happening,” Self said. “There are times we can play that way in a game. I can’t see us starting that way.

“Mike, Russell and Aaron will play a lot together this year. We will be able to run more this year. Defensive pressure will be a key.”

Self acknowledges talk of starting lineups may be interesting to fans and the media, but the eventual starter is not weighing heavily on his mind.

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“Christian (Moody) is looking good in my opinion thus far, but I think we I think we put so much emphasis on starting. To me it’s almost irrelevant,” Self said. “I would rather be in there at the end when it counts the most, than be in there at the beginning.”

There’s a lot of time to sort things out. KU, which plays exhibition games against Emporia State (Nov. 7) and Washburn (Nov. 14) opens for real against Vermont on Nov. 19.