As upper echelon college hoops coaches go, Bill Self is relatively mild mannered.

So I was drawn to the reports the other morning that he’d been tossed from the Jayhawks’ loss night before. In the first half.

The foul call against his part time frosh superstar was truly horrible. It is universally believed by all who watched live or viewed the tape that it was egregious.

Except Dough Sirmons who teed up Self, who wasn’t really protesting that vehemently.

It was noted by one scribe that Sirmons, considered among the best at his job, was refereeing his ninth game in nine days in nine different cities.

Airports. Airport food. Travel woes. Lumpy mattresses. Sleep deprivation. All might have, probably had something to do with the zebra’s short fuse.

Jacques Vaughn, the Kansas assistant who took over after Self was banned, also got a T in the 2d half.

This kind of stuff has to happen. The really good ones call a lot — too many games — during the season which has gotten longer in recent years. November to April.

Some minimal research.

The guys at the top of the totem pole are on the move.

For example, consider Jeffrey Anderson, the guy known as “High Knees” because of his running style.

In the 31 days of January, Anderson did 26 games in 25 different cities. His travels during that month included stops in California, Utah, Oklahoma, Florida, Wisconsin, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Pennsylvania.

To name but a few.

The guy’s got some frequent flier miles in his pocket, and more than a few slices of bad sub sandwiches under his belt.

Last season’s highest rated ref, Kip Kissinger, called 113 games, and traveled over 80,000 miles.

Roger Ayers, who does a bunch of U of L games, and who is on ESPN more Stephen A., called 108 games, but his itinerary covered a slightly more manageable 78,000 miles.

These guys are T I R E D.

It shows.

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Know who else is getting irritable, it seems?

Coaches.

Not only Dan Hurley, who is that way as a character defect.

Mick Cronin physically banned a player from his bench in the middle of a game.

Jerome Tang said his weren’t worthy of wearing the purple of Kansas State, and wouldn’t be around next season.

Neither will Tang.

We hoopaholics love March, but there are those involved who are wearing down to a frazzle for our adoration.

 * * * * *

Coach K is the latest to go on record as how an expansion beyond 68 teams for the tourney is truly idiotic.

But one must assume, more or less a fait accompli sooner or later.

 * * * * *

Pat Kelsey explained why Vangelis Zougris started Monday night against ‘Cuse.

He wanted “nasty.”

And there’s no question, Zoug plays nastier than anybody else on the squad.

The guy he replaced, Sananda Fru, seemed a bit too accepting of the decision. Though he did play with a bit more aggressiveness.

 * * * * *

I watched Jai Lucas’s Miami Hurricanes dispatch SMU last night in Dallas. Something the Cards could not do.

Saturday’s tilt shall be a battle.

A Cardinal W would be boffo.

— c d kaplan