It’s been almost five months since KU players shuffled off the court at the HP Pavillion in San Jose. Back then, disappointment and uncertainty hung over the players, coaches and fans because of the team’s loss to UCLA in the West Regional Final. Now, five months later, plenty has changed. The summer has been full of surprises and disappointments.

Here’s a quick guide to what happened with Kansas basketball during the past three months:

Funny how one leap can produce so many changes.

Junior guard Brandon Rush leapt for a dunk in late May like he’s done hundreds of times since his early teens. But this jump didn’t feel right. Rush landed wrong and felt a pain in his knee. At first, he thought it was nothing.

“I didn’t know it was that serious,” he said in a press release, “because as soon as it happened I popped right back up and started walking on it.”

But it was serious. Serious enough to force Rush to withdraw from the NBA draft because of an ACL tear. That leap put Rush’s pro career on hold and immediately catapulted Kansas back into the national title talk.

For Kansas to live up to its potential though, Rush must be healthy. His daily regimen includes rehab for two hours every morning, followed by an hour of lifting weights and biking and more rehab in the afternoon. He’ll be able to run in about nine weeks. Doctors have told Rush he should be ready to play December 1, although it could be as early as November or as late as January.

“I want to come back better than last year and the year before that,” Rush said. “My teammates help me out a lot, and I’m just keeping a great attitude about it. These things happen for a reason, that’s what my grandma always told me.”

Darrell Arthur should have been in Serbia, sightseeing and playing basketball with some of the best college players from around the country. Instead, he spent July nursing a stress fracture.

“I was pretty upset when I first heard,” said Arthur, a sophomore forward. “I really wanted to travel with this team. I have never been overseas, and I put in some good work.”

Arthur started feeling pain in early July after being selected for the USA U-19 team. Since then he’s been receiving treatment and mainly resting. His injury is not nearly as serious as Brandon Rush’s.

“If this had to happen,” said Kansas coach Bill Self. “It was good it happened now because we expect him to be at full speed before the start of school.”

Arthur wasn’t the only Jayhawk who dabbled with USA basketball this summer. Sophomore guard Sherron Collins and junior guard Mario Chalmers were among 30 players invited to the USA Basketball Men’s Pan American Team Trials.

Neither player made the team, but they competed against stars such as Villanova’s Scottie Reynolds, Michigan State’s Drew Neitzel and Indiana’s D.J. White. The experience should help both improve for the upcoming season.

Summers for college coaches mean one thing: gymnasiums.

They watch recruits from New Jersey all the way to Las Vegas. Self wouldn’t have a shot at top high school players if he or an assistant didn’t show up to watch at these tournaments and camps.

So far, the coaching staff’s recruiting has paid off. Travis Releford, a 6-foot-5 shooting guard from Bishop Miege High School in Roeland Park, already made a verbal commitment to attend Kansas next fall. He’s ranked as the 72nd best prospect in his class according to Rivals.com.

Self is not allowed to comment about Releford or any other player he’s recruiting for the class of 2008, but these players have received offers from Kansas and are interested in the school, according to Scout.com: Greg Monroe, the consensus No. 1 prospect, Willie Warren, a shooting guard from Keith Langford’s high school, J’Mison Morgan, a big man from Dallas, and Terrance Henry, a power forward.

Julian Wright did slide in the draft — but only a little bit. The New Orleans Hornets selected Wright, who was originally projected in the top seven, 14th in June’s NBA Draft. In Summer League games, Wright played just like he did at Kansas: He showed flashes of excellence but couldn’t develop consistency.

One game, Wright totaled 14 points, seven rebounds and four assists. The day before that he didn’t make a field goal.

The good news for Wright is that he has chance to earn significant playing time this season. Desmond Mason, who plays the same position as Wright, signed with the Milwaukee Bucks. Wright likely will battle second-year forward Cedric Simmons for playing time behind David West and Peja Stojakovic.

Former Jayhawks galore played in the NBA Summer League: Keith Langford with the San Antonio Spurs, Billy Thomas with the Milwaukee Bucks, Aaron Miles with the Washington Wizards and Jeff Graves with Lakers. Miles recently signed with Cajasol Sevilla in Spain.

Also, Jacque Vaughn won an NBA title in June with the Spurs and will be back with the team next year. Scott Pollard, who spent last season with the Cleveland Cavaliers, signed a one-year deal with the Celtics, where he’ll join former Jayhawk Paul Pierce.

— Edited by Dianne Smith