Giles was able to chit-chat with some of the youngsters, while also visiting with his Kansas University teammates, who sat at tables clutching Sharpies and bottled water for three hours.

“Hey, C.J. I’m forging your signature – ‘C.J. 33,'” said KU sophomore forward Julian Wright, sitting next to fellow Chicagoan Sherron Collins. “Nah, just kidding … unless you want me to,” Wright added with a laugh.

Giles was in good spirits Sunday, four days after undergoing surgery to repair torn ligaments in his shooting – and writing – thumb.

“It’s sort of a detour for me. I have to take six weeks off, but luckily it’s the beginning of the summer instead of the end of the summer,” Giles said.

“I’ve still got a lot of time after the six weeks to work out, get in the weight room, shoot around.”

Giles, who hurt his thumb “dunking for the campers” Wednesday, will have a splint and soft cast removed next week, then wear a hard cast for two weeks.

Once the hard cast is shed, the 6-foot-10, 245-pound Giles says he’ll be able to resume lifting weights.

“Right now, I’m going to run. I can still run. I can still condition,” said Giles, who indicated he’d like to put on 10 more pounds by the start of the season.

He said he has some big-time goals for the summer that can still be fulfilled.

“My goal was to really get this team a lot more team-oriented, to really have good chemistry,” Giles said. “One thing I’ve been working on is being close to everyone, getting to know them and working on my game, too, working on offense as well as defense.”

Giles said he’d been impressed with newcomers Darrell Arthur, Sherron Collins and Brady Morningstar.

“I’m really excited. They are a lot more athletic, have a better feel for the game than typical freshmen,” said Giles, who is hoping to improve on last year’s averages of 6.2 points and 4.8 rebounds a game.

“I’m excited for the season to start. We can be really, really good.”

¢ All for the kids: Sophomore guard Mario Chalmers said the Jayhawks didn’t mind signing T-shirts on a Sunday for several hours.

“It’s all for the kids,” he said. “It’s no big thing. We come here and support the kids like they support us during the season.”

Chalmers and fellow sophomore Brandon Rush will work as camp counselors at the adidas Superstar camp for blue-chip high school players in July in Atlanta.

¢ Kaun back in Russia: KU junior center Sasha Kaun has returned to his hometown of Tomsk, Russia for a month. While visiting his relatives, he’ll also be updating his passport.

¢ Aldrich cut from U.S. team: Future KU player Cole Aldrich, a 6-11 senior-to-be from Bloomington, Minn., did not survive cuts for USA Basketball’s Under 18 team over the weekend in San Antonio.

Under 18 finalists were: Chris Allen, 6-3, Lawrenceville, Ga. (Michigan State); Jerryd Bayless, 6-3, Phoenix, Ariz., (undecided); Michael Beasley, 6-9, Frederick, Md., (undecided); Johnny Flynn, 6-0, Niagara Falls, N.Y. (Syracuse); Drew Gordon, 6-9, San Jose, Calif. (undecided); Donte Greene, 6-10, Baltimore (Syracuse); Spencer Hawes, 7-0, Seattle (Washington); James Hickson, 6-8, Marietta, Ga. (undecided); Taylor King, 6-7, Huntington Beach, Calif. (Duke); Gani Lawal, 6-9, Norcross, Ga. (Georgia Tech); Tajuan Porter, 5-7, Detroit (Oregon); Stanley Robinson, 6-9, Birmingham, Ala. (Connecticut); Kyle Singler, 6-9, 210, South Medford, Ore., (undecided); Nolan Smith, 6-3, Upper Marlboro, Md. (Duke); DaJuan Summers, 6-8, Baltimore (Georgetown); Lance Thomas, 6-8, Scotch Plains, N.J. (undecided).

Singler and Bayless have KU on their lists of prospective colleges.

Bayless, a senior-to-be at St. Mary’s High in Phoenix, recently decommitted from Arizona. He told rivals.com he’s considering Texas, North Carolina, KU and Arizona. Singler, a senior-to-be at South Medford High, is considering Duke, UCLA, KU, Arizona and Washington.