By Janie McCauley ~ The Associated Press

SEATTLE -- Saint Louis University confirmed Wednesday that Washington athletic director Barbara Hedges has had an initial conversation with Billikens' coach Lorenzo Romar about the Huskies' vacant men's basketball job.

"They have spoken briefly by phone," SLU sports information director Doug McIlhagga told The Associated Press.

Neither Romar nor the school's athletic director, Doug Woolard, were available for comment Wednesday, McIlhagga said. Romar was leaving Wednesday for the Final Four in Atlanta.

McIlhagga said Romar and Hedges would speak further at the Final Four, though Hedges and Washington have not confirmed she will be there. Jim Daves, Washington sports information director and assistant athletic director, is in Atlanta. Hedges has been in California for a university fund-raising event and has refused to discuss the search.

UW head coach Bob Bender was asked to resign last week after three straight losing seasons.

Romar, a starting guard for Washington from 1978-80, could be the most logical person to replace Bob Bender, and perhaps the most interested. Romar would know what he's getting into, having played here and having coached against the Huskies while working as an assistant at UCLA from 1992-96.

Romar, 43, also is known for his strong recruiting on the West Coast, while Bender's ability to recruit was often criticized.

"Geez, he's one of the really great guys of all time," said Bill Bennett, a sports information director at UCLA who worked closely with Romar. "He's friendly, smart, and he did a good job here as a recruiter and a coach."

Bennett said he wouldn't be surprised to see Romar return to the Northwest and Washington.

Hedges will be busy in Atlanta, if she goes. She also has received permission to talk to Gonzaga's Mark Few and Missouri's Quin Snyder, a native of Mercer Island, a Seattle suburb.

Few left Spokane for Atlanta on Wednesday morning, Gonzaga said.

Bender was asked to resign last week after nine seasons. His teams had back-to-back 20-loss seasons for the first time in school history, then finished 11-18 and eighth in the Pac-10 this season.

Romar, who played five seasons in the NBA, has a 93-88 record in six years as a coach.

He took Pepperdine to the National Invitation Tournament in 1999 and his first Saint Louis team swept through the Conference USA tournament to reach the NCAA tournament in 2000.

Romar's Billikens have gone 51-44 in three seasons, and his last two teams have beaten the Huskies.

He played at Washington as a junior college transfer and was singled out in both seasons as the Huskies' most inspirational player. In 1979-80, his senior year, he was co-captain and led an 18-10 team into the NIT with an average of 9.3 points and 3.5 assists a game.

Self denial at Illinois

LITTLE ROCK -- Basketball coach Bill Self said Wednesday that he is concentrating on his job at Illinois and that "any reports connecting me to the Arkansas job are not accurate."

Illinois sports information director Kent Brown said he had received several calls from reporters about Self and the vacancy Arkansas created when it fired Nolan Richardson this month.

"I have great respect for coach (Frank) Broyles and the Arkansas program, but my total focus is on the University of Illinois and our basketball program here," Self, 39, said in a statement issued through Brown.

Meanwhile, Kent State athletic director Laing Kennedy said he talked to his basketball coach, Stan Heath, who visited Fayetteville on Wednesday, but that they discussed the Golden Flashes.

Kennedy said he and Heath did not discuss the visit, which included a tour of Walton Arena. "We talked about Kent State business," Kennedy said. "We talked about getting on with the business at hand."

In another development, Kent State gave West Virginia permission to talk to Heath about the Mountaineers' coaching job, Kent State SID Will Roleson said. WVU coach Gale Catlett retired Feb. 14 after 24 seasons.

Heath, 37, led Kent State to the final eight in this year's NCAA basketball tournament. The 10th-seeded Golden Flashes (30-6) advanced to the finals of the NCAA South Regional before losing to Indiana 81-69. During their run, the Golden Flashes beat Oklahoma State 69-61, Alabama 71-58 and Pittsburgh 78-73 in overtime.

Heath is one of about a half-dozen coaches interviewed in Fayetteville, but he was the only one given a personal tour of Walton Arena by Broyles. In addition, university officials held a reception for Heath and his wife.