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Kansas Jayhawks men's basketball

Kansas Jayhawks men's basketball

The Kansas Jayhawks men's basketball program is the intercollegiate men's basketball program of the University of Kansas. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I and the team competes in the Big 12 Conference. Kansas is considered one of the most prestigious college basketball programs in the country with 5 overall claimed National Championships (3 NCAA Tournament championships, 2 Helms National Championships), as well being a National Runner-Up six times and having the most conference titles in the nation. Kansas is the all-time consecutive conference titles record holder with 14 consecutive titles, a streak that ran from 2005 through 2018. The Jayhawks also own the NCAA record for most consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances with an active streak of 30 consecutive appearances. Another notable active streak for the Jayhawks is they have been ranked in the AP poll for 200 consecutive polls, a streak that has stretched from the poll released on February 3, 2009 poll through the poll released on March 11, 2019, which is the longest active streak in the nation. That streak is 21 behind UCLA's record run of 222 straight from 1966-1980.

The Jayhawks' first coach was the inventor of the game of basketball, James Naismith. Naismith, ironically, is the only coach in Kansas basketball history with a losing record. The Kansas basketball program has produced many notable professional players, including Clyde Lovellette, Wilt Chamberlain, Jo Jo White, Danny Manning, Raef LaFrentz, Paul Pierce, Nick Collison, Kirk Hinrich, Mario Chalmers, Andrew Wiggins and Joel Embiid. Politician Bob Dole also played basketball at Kansas.[2] Former players that have gone on to be coaches include Phog Allen, Adolph Rupp, Dean Smith, Dutch Lonborg, and former assistants to go on to be notable coaches include John Calipari, Gregg Popovich, and Bill Self. Mark Turgeon, Jerod Haase, and Danny Manning are all former players and assistant coaches that became head coaches. Allen founded the National Association of Basketball Coaches and, with Lonborg, was an early proponent of the NCAA tournament.[3][4] Four different Jayhawk head coaches are in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as coaches, Phog Allen, Larry Brown, Roy Williams, and current head coach Bill Self. Three different Division I basketball arenas have been named after former Kansas players, the Dean Smith Center named after Dean Smith at North Carolina, Rupp Arena named after Adolph Rupp at Kentucky, and the Jayhawks own arena Allen Fieldhouse named after Phog Allen.

In 2008, ESPN ranked Kansas second on a list of the most prestigious programs of the modern college basketball era.[5] Kansas currently has the longest streak of consecutive NCAA tournament appearances of all-time (30),[6] the longest current streak of consecutive NCAA winning seasons (35), the most winning seasons in Division I history (97), the most non-losing seasons (.500 or better) in NCAA history (100), the most conference championships in Division I history (61), the most consecutive regular season conference titles in Division I (14), the most First Team All Americans in Division I history (22), and the most First Team All American Selections in Division I history (29). As of the last complete season, the program ranks third in Division I all-time winning percentage (.725) and second in Division I all-time wins (2,217).

Since the opening of Allen Fieldhouse, the Jayhawks home arena, in 1955, the Jayhawks have earned a well established home court advantage. Allen Fieldhouse is often considered one of the best home court advantages in college basketball.[7][8][9][10] The Jayhawks have won over 70 percent of their games in Allen Fieldhouse, losing only a little over 100 games in its over 60-year history. Under current head coach Bill Self, the Jayhawks have had three home court winning streaks over 30 games and two streaks that have reached over 50 games. Currently, the Jayhawks have won 20 consecutive games at Allen Fieldhouse. In addition to Allen Fieldhouse, the Jayhawks will frequently play games at the nearby Sprint Center in Kansas City, Missouri. These games, while technically a neutral site, are officially considered home games when they are not a part of a tournament.

Kansas Jayhawks
2019–20 Kansas Jayhawks men's basketball team
UniversityUniversity of Kansas
First season1898–99
All-time record2,274–859 (.726)
Athletic directorJeff Long
Head coachBill Self(17th season)
ConferenceBig 12
LocationLawrence, Kansas
ArenaAllen Fieldhouse
(Capacity: 16,300)
NicknameJayhawks
ColorsCrimson and Blue[1]
Uniforms
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Home jersey
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Team colours
Home
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Away jersey
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Team colours
Away
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Alternate jersey
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Team colours
Alternate
Pre-tournament Helms Champions
1922, 1923
NCAA Tournament Champions
1952, 1988, 2008
NCAA Tournament Runner-up
1940, 1953, 1957, 1991, 2003, 2012
NCAA Tournament Final Four
1940, 1952, 1953, 1957, 1971, 1974, 1986, 1988, 1991, 1993, 2002, 2003, 2008, 2012, 2018
NCAA Tournament Elite Eight
1940, 1942, 1952, 1953, 1957, 1960, 1966, 1971, 1974, 1986, 1988, 1991, 1993, 1996, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2011, 2012, 2016, 2017, 2018
NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen
1952, 1953, 1957, 1960, 1966, 1967, 1971, 1974, 1981, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2016, 2017, 2018
NCAA Tournament Appearances
1940, 1942, 1952, 1953, 1957, 1960, 1966, 1967, 1971, 1974, 1975, 1978, 1981, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019
Conference Tournament Champions
1981, 1984, 1986, 1992, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2016, 2018
Conference Regular Season Champions
1908, 1909, 1910, 1911, 1912, 1914, 1915, 1922, 1923, 1924, 1925, 1926, 1927, 1931, 1932, 1933, 1934, 1936, 1937, 1938, 1940, 1941, 1942, 1943, 1946, 1950, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1957, 1960, 1966, 1967, 1971, 1974, 1975, 1978, 1986, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018**
Conference Division Season Champions
1908, 1909, 1910, 1912, 1913, 1914

History

Kansas ranks second all-time in NCAA Division I wins with 2,248 wins (as of the last complete season), against 848 losses (.725 all time winning %, 3rd all-time). This record includes a 750–109 (.873) mark at historic Allen Fieldhouse. The Jayhawks are first in NCAA history with 97 winning seasons, and tied for first in NCAA history with 100 non-losing (.500 or better) seasons with Kentucky. Kansas has the fewest head coaches (8) of any program that has been around 100 years, yet has reached the Final Four under more head coaches (6) than any other program in the nation. Every head coach at Kansas since the inception of the NCAA Tournament has led the program to the Final Four. Kansas has had four head coaches inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame, more than any other program in the nation. A perennial conference powerhouse, Kansas leads Division I all-time in regular season conference titles with 61 in 111 years of conference play (the MVIAA Conference was created in 1907) through the 2016–17 regular season. The Jayhawks have won a record 18 conference titles and a record 11 conference tournament titles in the 21 years of the Big 12's existence. The program also owns the best Big 12 records in both those areas with a 274–57 record in conference play and a 41–11 record in tournament play. The Jayhawks won their 2,000th game in school history when they defeated Texas Tech in the 2009–2010 season, joining the University of Kentucky and the University of North Carolina as the only schools to boast such an achievement at that time.[11]

James Naismith era (1898–1907)

The 1899 University of Kansas basketball team, with Dr. James Naismith at the back, right.

The 1899 University of Kansas basketball team, with Dr. James Naismith at the back, right.

The men's basketball program officially began in 1898, following the arrival of Dr. James Naismith to the school, just six years after Naismith had written the sport's first official rules. Naismith was initially hired to be a chapel director and physical education instructor, but became the head basketball coach.[12]

During those early years, the majority of the university's basketball games were played against nearby YMCA teams, with YMCAs across the nation having played an integral part in the birth of basketball. Other common opponents were Haskell Institute and William Jewell College. Under Naismith, the team played just one game against a current Big 12 school, a matchup with rival Kansas State University.[13] Naismith was, ironically, the only coach in the program's history to have a losing record (55–60).

Including his years as coach, Naismith served as the Athletic Director and a faculty member at Kansas for a total of almost 40 years before retiring in 1937. Naismith died in 1939, and his remains are buried in Lawrence, Kansas. The basketball court in Allen Fieldhouse is named James Naismith Court. Beyond inventing the game, his next greatest basketball legacy may be his coaching tree, whose two trunks are the well-known Phog Allen and Kansas native John McLendon. (McLendon attended KU in the 1930s when Allen was head coach. Although McLendon tried out for the team, he never played for Allen. Naismith mentored McLendon from his arrival at Kansas through degree completion and beyond.)

On December 10, 2010, the David Booth family purchased Dr. James Naismith's 13 Original Rules of the game at a Sotheby's auction in New York City for the sum of $4.3 million. They brought the founding document of basketball back to KU's Lawrence campus, where it is currently housed at the DeBruce Center.[14]

Phog Allen era (1919–1956)

In 1907, Kansas hired one of Naismith's players, Dr. Forrest C. "Phog" Allen as head coach. Naismith provided Allen with a now infamous piece of wisdom: "You can't coach basketball; you just play it."[15] Allen would set out to prove the adage wrong and through success and an unrivaled coaching tree has become known as the "Father of Basketball Coaching", having passed on his knowledge of the game to some of the most well-respected names in the history of college basketball, including National Basketball Hall of Fame coaches Adolph Rupp, Dean Smith, Dutch Lonborg and Ralph Miller (all except Lonborg were born and raised in Kansas). Allen coached the team from 1907–09, but William O. Hamilton coached from 1909–1919, with Allen taking over again in 1919. The team went 125–59 and won five conference championships under Hamilton's direction.

Allen coached KU for 39 seasons and amassed a record of 590–219, with two retroactively-awarded Helms Foundation national titles and one NCAA Tournament championship in 1952. Numerous basketball greats would play at Kansas during Allen's era, including Dean Smith, Adolph Rupp, Dutch Lonborg, and Ralph Miller (all future Hall of Fame coaches), Paul Endacott, Bill Johnson, and Clyde Lovellette (Hall of Fame players), two-time Olympic Gold Medalist Bill Hougland, and even former United States Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole.

In 1952, the Jayhawks won the national title with an 80–63 victory in the final game over St. John's, coached by Frank McGuire. Clyde Lovellette of Kansas was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player, and is still the only player to lead the nation in scoring and lead his team to a national title in the same year. This tournament was the first to have a true "Final Four" format. Seven members of the championship team represented the United States in the 1952 Summer Olympics and brought home a gold medal for the national basketball team.[16] This was especially poignant for Allen, as he had been the driving force for having basketball added to the Olympics in 1936. Allen was forced to retire when he turned 70 in 1956, because he was getting too "old". Allen had recruited legendary Wilt Chamberlain to Kansas, but would not get to coach him because freshmen were not eligible to play varsity basketball in 1956.

Dick Harp era (1956–1964)

Wilt Chamberlain was one of the top centers to ever play for the Jayhawks.

Wilt Chamberlain was one of the top centers to ever play for the Jayhawks.

Following Allen's retirement, the Jayhawks hired former KU player and assistant, Dick Harp. Under Harp the Jayhawks went 121–82 with two conference titles and two NCAA tournament berths.

Wilt Chamberlain played his varsity years under Harp, making his job a rather easy one for the first two seasons. In his first varsity game, Chamberlain scored 52 points and grabbed 31 rebounds, breaking both all-time college records in an 87–69 win against Northwestern. In 1957, he led the Jayhawks to the championship game against North Carolina, coached by Frank McGuire, whom they had defeated in the 1952 title game when McGuire was at St. John's. McGuire triple-teamed Chamberlain and, as a result, KU was defeated 54–53 in triple overtime. The game is considered one of the greatest in NCAA history. Chamberlain continued to average 30+ points per game until leaving KU early to play professionally with the Harlem Globetrotters.

Ted Owens era (1964–1983)

Ted Owens took over for Harp in 1964, and would go 348–128 during his tenure, eventually winning six Big Eight Conference titles.

The team advanced to NCAA postseason play seven times under Owens. The 1971 team went 27–3 and advanced to the Final Four before losing to UCLA. In 1974 the team went 23–7 and again advanced to the Final Four before losing to Marquette.

During this era the program produced All-Americans such as Jo Jo White, Walt Wesley, Bud Stallworth, Darnell Valentine, and Dave Robisch.

After 19 years of coaching at University of Kansas, Owens was fired following the 1982–83 season after the Jayhawks posted back-to-back losing seasons.

Larry Brown era (1983–1988)

Brown helped lead Kansas to the school's second-ever NCAA Tournament championship in 1988.

Brown helped lead Kansas to the school's second-ever NCAA Tournament championship in 1988.

In 1983, Larry Brown headed to the University of Kansas, after coaching in the NBA. Under Brown, Kansas finished first in the Big Eight in 1986, and second in 1984, 1985, and 1987. In 1988, Kansas got off to a mediocre 12–8 start, including 1–4 in the Big 8. The Jayhawks' 55-game homecourt winning streak in Allen Fieldhouse was snapped with a loss to rival Kansas State, and they would also lose 2 more home games to Duke and Oklahoma. Behind the high-scoring of Danny Manning, KU finished 21–11 at the end of the season and entered the NCAA tournament as a #6 seed. Two early upsets allowed them to face lower seeds, gain momentum, and advance. The Jayhawks would ultimately go on to face the three teams who had given them their three home losses that season. They defeated rival Kansas State in the Elite 8, then defeated Duke in the Final 4, and won the national championship, defeating favored conference rival Oklahoma 83–79 in the final. The 11 losses Kansas accrued in 1988 are more than any other national champion have before or since. The win garnered the team the nickname "Danny and the Miracles". Earlier, near the start of the tournament, Dick Vitale had been asked about Kansas' chances and commented "If Kansas wins, I'll kiss the Jayhawk on the floor of Allen Fieldhouse." Eventually, he did make good on his promise.

During Brown's tenure, Kansas had five NCAA Tournament appearances, which included two second round appearances, one Sweet 16 appearance, two trips to the Final Four and the national championship. He also compiled a 135–44 (.754) overall record. Brown left under a cloud, as NCAA sanctions and a postseason probation were levied against Kansas following Brown's departure in the 1988–1989 season as a result of recruiting violations that took place during Brown's tenure. The major violation was a plane ticket home for potential transfer Vincent Askew to see his sick grandmother.[17] Prior to the investigation, Askew had already decided not to transfer to Kansas.

Roy Williams era (1988–2003)

Shortly following Brown's departure, Kansas hired then North Carolina assistant Roy Williams as head coach.

From 1988–2003, under the direction of Williams, the Jayhawks had a record of 418–101, a .805 winning percentage. Williams' Kansas teams averaged 27.8 wins per season. Except for his first season at Kansas (when the team was on probation), all of Williams' teams made the NCAA tournament. From 1990 to 1999 Kansas compiled a 286–60 record, giving them both the most wins and best winning percentage of any team in that decade.[18] From 1994 to 1998, the Jayhawks won 62 consecutive home games at Allen Fieldhouse, which was the longest such streak in the NCAA at the time. The seniors of 1998 (Raef LaFrentz, Billy Thomas, and C.B. McGrath) went 58–0 at home during their KU careers.

Kansas won nine regular-season conference championships over Williams' last 13 years. In seven years of Big 12 Conference play, his teams went 94–18, capturing the regular-season title in 1997, 1998, 2002 and 2003 and the postseason tournament crown in 1997, 1998 and 1999. In 2001–02, KU became the first, and so far only, team to go undefeated (16–0) in Big 12 play. From 1995–98, Kansas was a combined 123–17 – an average of 30.8 wins per season. Williams' teams went 201–17 (.922) in Allen Fieldhouse, and won 62 consecutive games in Allen from February 1994 to December 1998. Kansas was a regular in the Associated Press Top 25 from 1991 to 1999, placing in the poll for 145 consecutive weeks. Williams' teams were ranked in the Top 10 in 194 AP polls from 1990.[19]

Kansas led the nation in field goal percentage and scoring in 2002 and in scoring margin in 2003, held opponents to the lowest field goal percentage in the country in 2001 (37.8 percent), and led the nation in winning percentage in 1997 and 2002. The team shot better than 50 percent from the floor for seven different seasons under Williams, and led the country in field goal percentage in 1990 (53.3) and 2002 (50.6). Williams' teams shot a combined 49.4 percent from the floor during his tenure. Williams-coached teams led the nation in assists in 2001 and 2002 and were seventh in the nation in 2003; scored 100 or more points 71 times (once every 13 games); averaged 82.7 points per game over his 15 seasons as coach; and averaged 90 or more points per game in two seasons (92.1 in 1990 and 90.9 in 2002).[19]

The Jayhawks were in the AP Top 25 in 242 of 268 weekly polls, reached the No. 1 ranking in the country in six different seasons, and reached at least No. 2 in the nation in 11 of William's 15 seasons as head coach at Kansas.

Under Williams, the team had several deep runs in the NCAA Tournament, making it to four Final Fours and appearing in the national championship game in both 1991 and 2003, losing both, to Duke and Syracuse respectively. Amidst the tournament successes, there were plenty of woes. The 1996–97 team was said by many to be one of the greatest teams in history, featuring future NBA players such as Paul Pierce, Jacque Vaughn, Raef LaFrentz, and Scot Pollard. The team was upset in the Sweet Sixteen by the eventual champion, Arizona Wildcats.[20]

The Jayhawks advanced to the Final Four in 2002 & 2003. Following the national championship loss in 2003, Williams left Kansas and returned to coach at his alma mater, North Carolina.

Bill Self era (2003–present)

Coach Bill Self (third from left) with his national champion 2007–08 squad

Coach Bill Self (third from left) with his national champion 2007–08 squad

Kansas fans celebrate in Downtown Lawrence, Kansas after the Jayhawks win the 2008 National Championship

Kansas fans celebrate in Downtown Lawrence, Kansas after the Jayhawks win the 2008 National Championship

Bill Self was introduced as the new head coach for the 2003–04 season and in his first season at Kansas, Self inherited Williams' players and recruits, which often caused turmoil as the style of play differed between the two coaches. Nevertheless, Self led his new Kansas team to the Elite Eight at the NCAA tournament his first year.

The next two seasons did not end on such a high note. Big things were expected of an experienced KU in 2004–05, led by seniors Wayne Simien, Keith Langford, Michael Lee, and Aaron Miles. They began the season ranked #1 and started off 20–1, but then they slumped and lost six of their final nine games, including a loss to Bucknell in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The team finished 23–7 and settled for a Big 12 co-championship with Oklahoma.

In 2005–06, little was expected of the freshman/sophomore-dominated Jayhawks, and they began the season 10–6, including 1–2 in the Big 12. Although they did post a 73–46 win over Kentucky, they also saw the end of their 31-game winning streak over rival Kansas State with a 59–55 loss at Allen Fieldhouse, and two nights later blew a seven-point lead in the final 45 seconds of regulation en route to an 89–86 overtime loss at Missouri. But afterward, the Jayhawks matured rapidly, winning 15 of their final 17 games and avenging the losses to both Kansas State and Missouri. KU played as the #2 seed in the Big 12 Tournament in Dallas, and avenged an earlier loss to Texas with an 80–68 victory over the Longhorns in the final to clinch the tournament championship and the highlight win of the season. KU was handed a #4 seed for the NCAA Tournament but stumbled again in the first round with a loss to the Bradley Braves.

In the 2006–07 season, Self led Kansas to the 2007 Big 12 regular-season championship with a 14–2 record, highlighted by beating the Kevin Durant-led Texas Longhorns in come-from-behind victories in the last game of the regular season and in the Big 12 Championship game. At the end of the regular season, Kansas stood at 27–4 and ranked #2 in the nation in both the AP and coaches' polls. Kansas received a number 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, but their tournament run ended in the Elite Eight with a loss to 2-seed UCLA.

In the 2007–08 season, Self's Kansas team began the season 20–0 until they suffered their first loss at rival Kansas State, their first loss at Kansas State since 1983. The 2008 Jayhawks won the Big 12 regular-season title and the Big 12 conference tourney. They received a number-one seeding in the NCAA Tournament in the Midwest region. On March 30, 2008, Self led Kansas to a win in an Elite Eight game over upstart Davidson College. KU won by two, 59–57. The Jayhawks played overall number 1 tournament seed North Carolina in the semifinals, a team coached by former KU head man Roy Williams. The Jayhawks opened the game with a 40–12 run over the first 12½ minutes before finally defeating them 84–66. On April 7, 2008, the Jayhawks triumphed over a one-loss Memphis team to claim the national title. With only seconds on the clock, Sherron Collins drove the ball the length of the court and threaded a pass to Mario Chalmers, who connected on a deep three-pointer to force overtime. This shot would later come to be known as "Mario's Miracle" in a nod to 1988 championship nickname "Danny and the Miracles". Kansas then outplayed Memphis in the overtime to win the NCAA Championship game, 75–68. The Jayhawks finished the season with a 37–3 record, the winningest season in Kansas history.

In the 2008–09 season, despite losing 7 of their top 9 scorers and the entire starting line-up, the Jayhawks earned their 20th consecutive NCAA Tournament bid after going 25–7 (14–2), winning the conference regular season title and extending their home winning streak to 41 straight at Allen Fieldhouse. On March 22, 2009, Kansas defeated Dayton, advancing to their 3rd consecutive Sweet 16 appearance. But the Jayhawks' season ended on March 27 when Michigan State came from behind in the final minute to defeat Kansas 67–62, ending their year at 27–8. Coach Self's record, after 6 seasons with the Jayhawks, was 169–40, an .809 percentage. After the season, Self was named National Coach of the Year by the Associated Press, CBS Sports' Chevrolet Award, USBWA (Henry Iba Award), and Sporting News.

On April 13, Sherron Collins and Cole Aldrich announced their intent to return for the 2009–10 season. On April 23, top high school recruit Xavier Henry made his commitment to play at Kansas in the fall, prompting ESPN to name the Jayhawks as "the team to beat in 2009–10." By the time the fall of 2009 arrived, Kansas was the unanimous preseason #1 team in all major publications. The Jayhawks finished the regular season with a 29–2 record and continue to hold the Division I record for the current consecutive home winning streak at 59 straight games in Allen Fieldhouse. Kansas passed 2,000 all-time wins in the 2009–10 season, only the third school to do so (finishing the season with a total of 2,003 all-time victories). They won the Big 12 tournament on March 13, clinching their 21st consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance, an active NCAA record. However, despite being named the overall #1 seed in the tournament, the Jayhawks fell in the second round to #9-seeded Northern Iowa, finishing the season at 33–3.

Recruiting began immediately for the 2010–11 season, as Kansas landed the nation's top recruit Josh Selby in April. By September 2010, both The Sporting News and Athlon Sports had ranked Kansas in their pre-season outlook as #4 overall and, along with ESPN's Joe Lunardi, were projected to become a #1 seed again in the 2011 NCAA Tournament, which they would again do. Blue Ribbon and the USA Today/ESPN coaches polls both placed Kansas at #7 in the pre-season poll. Josh Selby, became eligible and joined the Jayhawk line-up on December 18. On March 5, the Jayhawks beat Missouri 70–66 to clinch the Big 12 regular-season title for the 7th consecutive time and later went on to finish 29–2 during the regular season, ranked #2 in both the AP Poll and the USA Today/ESPN Coaches Poll. Bill Self was named Big 12 Coach of the Year and Marcus Morris was named Big 12 Player of the Year. The Jayhawks defeated 16 seed Boston University, 9 seed Illinois and 12 seed Richmond to reach their 3rd Elite Eight in the past 5 seasons before falling to 11 seed Virginia Commonwealth University in the quarterfinal game. During the season, Kansas moved past North Carolina as the 2nd winningest basketball program in history.

After being considered the top team but falling short in both of the previous two seasons, Kansas lost six of their top 8 scorers for the 2011–12 season. The Jayhawks had to rebuild after winning seven straight Big 12 titles. Prior to the season, the NCAA declared that three of the Jayhawks top recruits were ineligible for the season, which included games against perennial powerhouse programs such as Kentucky, Duke, Ohio State, and Georgetown. Despite 7 games against top 10 ranked opponents, Kansas finished the regular season 26–5, earned their 8th consecutive Big 12 title, and advanced to their 14th Final Four in school history. The Jayhawks would face another 2 seed, the Ohio State Buckeyes, in the National Semifinals. Kansas would come back from a 13-point first half deficit to win the game, 64–62. They then would face the Kentucky Wildcats, who had beaten the Louisville Cardinals on the other side of the bracket, in the championship game. Kansas would fall to the Wildcats, 67–59.

Kansas entered the 2012–13 season with eight straight Big 12 titles in tow. They continued to have the greatest home court advantage in all of sports, ending the season having won 107 of their last 109 games at home. After scoring their ninth consecutive title and winning the Big 12 tournament championship by defeating rival Kansas State for the third time that season, KU set its sights on a sixth national title. They were seeded #1 in the South bracket, defeating Western Kentucky and North Carolina before losing in overtime to Michigan 87–85 in the Sweet 16.

With star freshmen Andrew Wiggins and Joel Embiid on the roster, Kansas entered the 2013–14 season as the #5 team in the country. They started off well with five straight wins, including a victory over Duke in the Champions' Classic. However, the team went 4–4 over its next eight games, including back-to-back losses to Colorado and Florida and an ugly home loss to San Diego State. The team recovered from this rough stretch and began Big 12 play with seven straight wins, ultimately finishing 14–4 to win its 10th consecutive Big 12 title. A back injury to Joel Embiid, however, left the Jayhawks vulnerable on their interior defense, and they fizzled out at season's end with four losses in their final seven games, including a loss to Iowa State in the Big 12 Tournament quarterfinals in Kansas City and an NCAA Tournament Round of 32 loss to Stanford to end the year. Kansas concluded the year 25–10, the first ten-loss season for Kansas since Roy Williams' 1999–2000 Jayhawks went 24–10.

After the exodus of Andrew Wiggins and Joel Embiid to the NBA draft, the Jayhawks reloaded with freshmen Kelly Oubre Jr. and Cliff Alexander, the Jayhawks looked poised for another Big 12 season title, which would be their 11th straight. After a disappointing loss in the Champions Classic to Kentucky, the Jayhawks finished 11–2 in the non-conference. In what many regarded as the toughest conference in the nation (Big 12) the Jayhawks won their 11th straight title outright with a record of 13–5, having lost their arguably strongest post presence in Cliff Alexander due to an investigation by the NCAA of improper benefits being given to Alexander. Evidence never clearly materialized, but Alexander was held out and played his last game as a Jayhawk at Kansas State, where they lost by 7. They then lost in the Big 12 Championship game to Iowa State 70–66, and had a final record going into the tournament of 26–8. The Jayhawks were given a two seed in the NCAA Tournament, where they ousted 15 seed New Mexico State by 19 points, but exited the tournament early at the hands of Wichita State by 13 points. Both Oubre Jr. and Alexander declared for the draft shortly after the conclusion of the NCAA tournament.

The 2015-16 Jayhawks, led by Perry Ellis and Frank Mason, won a 12th consecutive Big 12 title and won the Big 12 Tournament. Seeded #1 in the NCAA South Region, the Jayhawks reached the Elite Eight, where they stumbled against #2 seed Villanova, the eventual national champions.

In 2016-17, behind the leadership of national player of the year Frank Mason, the Jayhawks won a 13th consecutive Big 12 title, tying UCLA's record for most consecutive conference titles. Although the team made an early exit from the Big 12 Tournament with a quarterfinal loss to TCU, the Jayhawks got the #1 seed in the NCAA Midwest Region. They dominated UC-Davis, Michigan State, and Purdue in their first three games, but ran into a buzzsaw against Oregon in the Elite Eight.

The 2017-18 Jayhawks lost a number of players to graduation, the NBA Draft, and transfer; but appeared to be poised for another spectacular season. Star freshman Billy Preston was sidelined by an NCAA inquiry into the financial picture surrounding his car, and ultimately left the team to play professional basketball in Europe. Kansas won its first seven games before losing in Kansas City to Washington and at home to Arizona State. Kansas would lose a total of three home games during the season, the most for any Bill Self-coached Kansas team, and the most since losing three home games in the 1998-99 season. The season bottomed out in early February with an ugly home loss to Oklahoma State and a 16-point loss at Baylor. But Kansas rallied to win a 14th straight Big 12 title, breaking UCLA's record. Then they defeated West Virginia to win the Big 12 Tournament. Seeded #1 in the NCAA Midwest Region, the Jayhawks defeated Penn, Seton Hall, Clemson, and Duke to reach Bill Self's third Final Four appearance and the program's 15th overall.

Kansas played in the 2015 World University Games in South Korea as the United States representatives in July 2015. The Jayhawks went undefeated in the World University Games, winning the championship to give the United States its first gold medal in World University Games men's basketball since 2005.[21] In August 2017, Self and the Jayhawks traveled to Italy to play four exhibition matches against local professional Italian teams.

Rank in notable areas

CategoryRankStat
All-Time Wins2nd2,274
All-Time Win %3rd.726
Regular Season Conference Championships1st61
Consecutive Reg. Season Conf. Championships1st14
NCAA Tournament TitlesT-7th3
NCAA Title Game Appearances5th9
NCAA Final Four Appearances5th15
NCAA Elite Eight Appearances3rd23
NCAA Sweet 16 Appearances4th30
NCAA Tournament Appearances3rd48
Consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances1st30*
NCAA Tournament #1 Seeds2nd14
NCAA Tournament Games Played3rd155
NCAA Tournament Wins4th107
NCAA Tournament Win %7th.690
Weeks Ranked as AP #1[22]5th65
Weeks Ranked as AP #2[23]2nd100
Weeks Ranked in AP Top 5[24]4th347
Weeks Ranked in AP Top 10[25]4th540
Weeks Ranked in AP Poll[26]4th746
Appearances in Final AP Poll[27]4th43
Consecutive Weeks Ranked in AP Poll[28]3rd180*
Seasons with 35 Wins or More3rd4
Seasons with 30 Wins or MoreT–2nd14
Seasons with 25 Wins or More3rd32
Seasons with 20 Wins or More5th47
Seasons with a Winning Record1st97
Seasons with a Non-Losing Record1st100
Consecutive seasons with 30 Wins[29]1st4
Consecutive seasons with 25 Wins[29]1st13*
Consecutive seasons with 20 Wins[29]2nd29*
Consensus First Team All-American Selections1st30
Consensus First Team All-American Players1st23
Academic All-American Selections2nd15
Academic All-American Players1st11
  • Active streak.Current Official NCAA Records [77] and Awards [78] data.[30]

Notable games

  • In the NCAA title game in 1957, Wilt Chamberlain and Kansas were defeated by the North Carolina Tar Heels 54–53 in triple overtime in what many consider to be the greatest NCAA Championship game ever played. Chamberlain was later named the NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player, the second to win the award and be a part of the losing team (Kansas’ B.H. Born won the award in 1953).[31]

  • In the 1966 Midwest Regional Finals, Kansas, the favored team to face Kentucky, played Texas Western. Texas Western got a controversial double overtime victory, 81–80. The would-be winning shot, a 35-footer, at the buzzer was made by All-American Jo Jo White at the end of the first overtime, but White was called for stepping on the sideline, ironically being penalized for being too far away from the basket and the shot was negated. This has always been highly contested and a photograph [79] of the play shows his heel over the line but not on the floor. Being the only piece of impartial evidence, it is impossible to tell whether his heel came up from the line prior to the photo, or whether his heel dropped to the line following the photo. Also noted in the photograph is the fact that the referee is not looking at his foot. This supports Ted Owens' objection that the call was made late, if the ref did not see his foot until after the shot. The Kansas players were celebrating when they were told the game was going to a 2nd overtime. Regardless of what actually happened, Texas Western was given the victory and advanced to the Final Four. The game is immortalized in the 2006 film Glory Road which is based on that season's Texas Western team.

  • On February 26, 1972, near the end of a disappointing 11–15 season for the Jayhawks, senior forward Bud Stallworth scored 50 points against archrival Missouri, who were in the running for the Big 8 Conference championship. Behind Stallworth's mammoth effort, the second-highest number of points in a game in KU history (Wilt Chamberlain scored 52 in his first game as a Jayhawk), KU defeated Missouri 93–80 on Senior Day at Allen Fieldhouse. Stallworth averaged 25.3 points per game for the 1971–72 season.

  • On April 4, 1988, in the 50th NCAA Tournament National Championship game, Kansas defeated the heavily favored Oklahoma Sooners 83–79 to win its second NCAA Men's Basketball championship. Led by senior forward and Player of the Year Danny Manning, Kevin Pritchard, Milt Newton, Chris Piper and a roster of players who came to be known as "The Miracles" raced the Sooners to a 50–50 halftime tie that had the referees shaking their heads and smiling as they left the court. Upon their return for the second half, Larry Brown convinced his Jayhawks that now that they proved they could run with the Sooners, they needed to slow the game down and take the Sooners out of their fast break offense. The Sooners built a 5-point second half lead until the Kansas defense finally clamped down. The Jayhawks, led by Manning (31 points, 18 rebounds, 5 steals, 2 blocked shots), caught up with them around the 11 minute mark. The rest of the game was neck and neck, until Manning finally sealed the victory from the free throw line.[32]

  • On December 9, 1989, AP #2 Kansas beat Kentucky 150–95 in Allen Fieldhouse.[33] The 150 points scored by the Jayhawks set the school record for most points scored in a game, and the team's 80 first-half points set the record for most points scored in a half.

  • On January 27, 2003, Kansas defeated Big XII Conference Texas 90–87 at Allen Fieldhouse behind a 24-point, 23-rebound performance by Nick Collison. Upon Collison fouling out of the game, his effort moved longtime ESPN college basketball analyst Dick Vitale to give him a standing ovation, only the second time Vitale had ever done so. (the first being for David Robinson)[34] Both Kansas and Texas would make the Final Four that year.

  • On March 3, 2007, Kansas recorded its 1,900th all-time program victory and won its 50th conference title against the Kevin Durant-led Texas Longhorns, 90–86. Texas led 54–42 at the half and led by as many as 16 early in the game.

  • On April 5, 2008, in their Final Four game leading up to their 2008 NCAA tournament victory over Memphis, the Jayhawks defeated North Carolina 84–66. Kansas started the game with a 40–12 lead. The Jayhawks held the Tar Heels without a basket for over nine minutes of the first half. After Brandon Rush buried a triple in transition to give Kansas a startling 38–12 lead, moving UNC coach Roy Williams to uncharacteristically call a timeout so early in a game, CBS announcer Billy Packer exclaimed, "This game is over!" even though there was 7:32 left in the first half. KU eventually won by 18-points. The Jayhawks shot 53 percent from the floor, while holding the Tar Heels to 35 percent. Kansas had 10 steals, 9 more rebounds and assists, six more blocks, and held North Carolina to 23 points below its average.[35][36][37]

  • On April 7, 2008, in one of the most memorable NCAA National Championship games ever, the Kansas Jayhawks defeated the Memphis Tigers 75–68 in a come from behind overtime victory to become the 2008 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament Champions. Mario Chalmers made a three-point shot with 2.1 seconds remaining, bringing the Jayhawks all the way back from a 60–51 deficit with two minutes remaining. The Jayhawks went 4–4 from the field, including 2–2 from 3-point range, and also went 2–2 from the line in the final 2 minutes. The Jayhawks then continued their hot flurry by going 4–6 from the field in OT and 4–4 from the line, outscoring the Tigers 12–5 in overtime to capture their third NCAA title, and fifth overall, including the retroactively awarded Helms Foundation Championships for the 1922 and 1923 seasons. Chalmers finished with 18 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, and 4 steals, and was chosen the Most Outstanding Player at the Final Four, the fifth Jayhawk all-time to be selected Final Four MOP.

  • On March 11, 2010, the Jayhawks claimed their 2,000th victory with an 80–68 win over Texas Tech.[38] With this win, Kansas became the third program to achieve 2000 victories, and moved into a tie for #2 in all-time victories. The Jayhawks moved into sole possession of #2 in all-time victories the next day by defeating Texas A&M 82–75.[39]

  • On January 15, 2011, Kansas celebrated its 69th consecutive home win (over Nebraska), the longest such Division I record since 1992 and the longest home winning streak in KU's history. (The streak ended on January 22, 2011 with a loss at home to the Texas Longhorns.)

  • On September 24, 2011, Bill Self and the University of Kansas made use of the NBA lockout by inviting former players and coaches to the first-ever "Legends Of The Phog" exhibition game. The money raised went to Lawrence's Boys & Girls Club and the family of the late Neil Dougherty. Former coaches Larry Brown and Ted Owens led the teams, featuring Paul Pierce and a slew of Jayhawk legends.

  • On February 25, 2012, in possibly the most epic finish in Allen Fieldhouse to date, the Jayhawks played their final Border War with longtime rival, the Missouri Tigers. The Kansas Jayhawks came back from a 19-point deficit in the second half to take the team to an 87–86 overtime win against the Tigers. The volume level inside the arena was a sustained 120 dB, with a high point of 127 dB when Thomas Robinson blocked Phil Pressey's shot at the end of regulation to preserve the tie.

  • On February 25, 2013, at Iowa State, Bill Self got his 500th victory as a head coach with a 108–96 overtime win.

  • On February 24, 2014, the Jayhawks won their 10th consecutive Big 12 regular season championship with an 83–75 win at home against Oklahoma. Bill Self also passed Wooden and Rupp for most consecutive league championships.

  • On March 3, 2015, the Jayhawks won their 11th consecutive Big 12 regular season championship with a 76–69 win at home against West Virginia.

  • On January 4, 2016, the Jayhawks, who were ranked 1st in the AP poll and 2nd in the coaches poll, played Oklahoma, who was ranked 2nd in the AP poll and 1st in the coaches poll. The game was back and forth the last few minutes of regulation. The game eventually went to 3 overtimes and KU won 109–106. Kansas forward Perry Ellis scored 27 points and got 13 rebounds while Oklahoma guard Buddy Hield scored 46 points. The game was the first time in Big 12 history that a conference game featured the number 1 ranked team and the number 2 ranked team.

  • On February 27, 2016, the Jayhawks won their 12th consecutive Big 12 regular season championship with a 67–58 win at home against Texas Tech. Kansas is one regular season conference championship behind UCLA's record of 13 straight.[40]

  • On March 24, 2016, the Jayhawks won their 100th NCAA tournament game, with a 79–63 victory over Maryland in the Sweet 16. Kansas only trails North Carolina, Duke, and Kentucky for all-time wins in the NCAA Tournament.[41]

  • On January 7, 2017, the Jayhawks claimed their 2,200th victory with an 85–68 win over Texas Tech.[42]

  • On February 22, 2017, the Jayhawks won their 13th consecutive Big 12 regular season championship with an 87-68 win at home against TCU. Kansas tied a record set by UCLA of 13 consecutive league championships.[43]

  • On February 24, 2018, the Jayhawks won their 14th consecutive Big 12 regular season championship with a 74-72 win at Texas Tech. With this win, Kansas broke the NCAA record for most consecutive league championships (previously held by UCLA with 13).[44]

  • On March 25, 2018, the Jayhawks played Duke in the 2018 NCAA Tournament in the Elite Eight. The game featured two of the top college basketball programs in the nation with a Hall of Fame coach on both sidelines with Bill Self and Mike Krzyzewski. The game was a back and forth game that had 18 lead changes and 11 ties. Senior guard Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk made a 3 pointer with 25.7 seconds left to tie the game at 72. Duke guard Grayson Allen missed the potential game winning shot as time expired and the game went into overtime. Kansas guard Malik Newman scored all 13 of the Jayhawks points in overtime to help them win with a score of 85–81 earning KU their first Final Four trip since 2012.[45]

Coaches

Despite having a program for almost 120 years, the Jayhawks have only had 8 head coaches. The longest tenured coach was Phog Allen at 39 seasons, while the shortest tenured coach was Larry Brown, who coached for 5 seasons. Allen also has the most wins in Kansas basketball history with 590. The next closest coach is current head coach Bill Self, who has won over 420 games in his 15 seasons with the Jayhawks. Ted Owens is the only coach in program history to have been fired

Of programs who have been around for at least 100 years, Kansas has had the fewest coaches, yet they have been led to the Final Four by more coaches than any other program. Every coach that has coached Kansas since the inception of the NCAA Tournament in 1939 has led the team to a Final Four. Phog Allen, Dick Harp, Ted Owens, Larry Brown, Roy Williams, and Bill Self have all led Kansas to NCAA Final Four appearances. Of those coaches, Allen, Brown, and Bill Self have led the Jayhawks to NCAA Championships (in 1952, 1988, and 2008, respectively). In addition to an NCAA Tournament National Championship, Allen won two Helms Athletic Foundation National Championships, in 1922 and 1923.

YearsDuration of head coaching career at Kansas
RecordNumber of career games won-lost at Kansas
PercentPercentage of games won at Kansas
Elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
YearsCoachRecordPercentNotes
1898–1907Dr. James Naismith*55–60.478Retired
• Inventor of the game of Basketball
• Only Coach in Kansas Basketball history with a losing record (55–60)
1907–1909, 1919–1956Dr. Forrest "Phog" Allen*590–219.729Retired
• Known as the "Father Of Basketball Coaching" for his innovations of the modern game
• Created the NABC (National Association of Basketball Coaches)
• Successfully lobbied to make the game of basketball an Olympic sport
• Helped to create the modern NCAA tournament, which began in 1939
• 1 NCAA Championship, 2 Helms Championships
• 3 National Championship game appearances
• 3 Final Fours
• 24 Conference Regular Season Championships
1909–1919William O. Hamilton125–59.679Resigned
• 5 Conference Regular Season Championships
1956–1964Dick Harp121–82.596Resigned
• 1 National Championship game appearance
• 1 Final Four
• 2 Conference Regular Season Championships
1964–1983Ted Owens348–182.657Fired
• 2 Final Fours
• 6 Conference Regular Season Championships
• 1 Conference Tournament Championship
• 1978 Basketball Weekly Coach of the Year
1983–1988Larry Brown*135–44.754Accepted position as Head Coach of the San Antonio Spurs
• 1 NCAA Championship
• 2 Final Fours
• 1 Conference Regular Season Championship
• 2 Conference Tournament Championships
• 1988 Naismith College Coach of the Year
1988–2003Roy Williams*418–101.805Accepted position as Head Coach at North Carolina
• 2 National Championship game appearances
• 4 Final Fours
• 9 Conference Regular Season Championships
• 4 Conference Tournament Championships
• 1990 Henry Iba Award Coach of the Year
• 1992 AP Coach of the Year
• 1997 Naismith College Coach of the Year
2003–present †Bill Self*447-96†.823†• 1 NCAA Championship
• 2 National Championship game appearances
• 3 Final Fours
• 14 Consecutive Conference Regular Season Championships
• 8 Conference Tournament Championships
• 2009 Henry Iba Award Coach of the Year, AP Coach of the Year, CBS/Chevrolet Coach of the Year, Sporting News Coach of the Year
• 2012 Naismith College Coach of the Year, Sporting News Coach of the Year, Adolph Rupp Cup
• 2006, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2017, 2018 Big 12 Conference Men's Basketball Coach of the Year
• 2016 AP Coach of the Year
Totalthru 2016-172,217–841.725

†Through last complete season per NCAA records.[46]

Notes:

  • In 1919, Karl Schlademan coached, and won, the first game of the season before relinquishing the coaching position to Allen in order to concentrate on his duties as head track coach.

  • In 1947, Howard Engleman coached 14 games (going 8–6) after Allen was ordered to take a rest following the 13th game of the season. Engleman's record is not listed in this table as he was never officially a head coach at the university.[47]

Updated March 19, 2018

Facilities

Snow Hall (1898–1927)

Before 1907 the Jayhawks played in various venues, ranging from the basement of the original Snow Hall (even though the ceiling was only 14 feet high) to the skating rink at the local YMCA. Although a current campus building bears the same name, the original Snow Hall was demolished in 1934.[48]

Robinson Gymnasium (1907–1927)

Robinson Gym was the first athletic building on the KU campus and featured a 2,500 seat auditorium used for basketball purposes. The building was demolished in 1967.[49]

Hoch Auditorium (1927–1955)

The remaining facade of what was Hoch Auditorium

The remaining facade of what was Hoch Auditorium

Robinson Gymnasium

Robinson Gymnasium

Snow Hall

Snow Hall

Hoch Auditorium was a 3,500 seat multi-purpose arena in Lawrence, Kansas. It opened in 1927. It was home to the University of Kansas Jayhawks basketball teams until Allen Fieldhouse opened in 1955.

Many of Hoch's nicknames during the basketball years were "Horrible Hoch" and "The House of Horrors." Such nicknames were in reference to the difficulty opposing teams had in dealing with the tight area surrounding the court and the curved walls and decorative lattice work directly behind the backboards. The curvature of the walls made the backboards appear to be moving causing opponents to miss free throws.

On June 15, 1991, Hoch Auditorium was struck by lightning. The auditorium and stage area were completely destroyed. Only the limestone facade and lobby area were spared. When reconstruction of the building was complete, the rear half of the building was named Budig Hall, for then KU Chancellor Gene Budig. The name on the facade was altered to reflect the presence of three large auditorium-style lecture halls within the building: Hoch Auditoria.

Allen Fieldhouse (1955–present)

Inside of Allen Fieldhouse

Inside of Allen Fieldhouse

Allen Fieldhouse was dedicated on March 1, 1955 when the Jayhawks defeated in-state rival, Kansas State 77–67.

Since February 20, 1994, the Jayhawks have lost only 14 regular season games in Allen Fieldhouse, a 263–14 record (.951). Since February 3, 2007, the Jayhawks have gone 140–3 (.979) at Allen Fieldhouse, as of April 2, 2015, the best home record in all of basketball.

Allen Fieldhouse is also notorious for its noise level as well. On November 4, 2010, ESPN The Magazine named Allen Fieldhouse the loudest college basketball arena in the country, reaching sustained decibel levels over 120.[50] On February 13, 2017 in a game against Big 12 opponent West Virginia, fans at Allen Fieldhouse broke the Guinness World Record for loudest crowd roar at an indoor sporting event with a roar of 130.4 decibels, which had been broken by Kentucky on January 28 against Kansas.[51]

The Booth Family Hall of Athletics is the future home of Dr. Naismith's Original 13 Rules Of Basketball, purchased at auction by the Booth family for $4.3 million on December 10, 2010. Plans for the document's enshrinement there are in the early stages.

Kansas won 69 consecutive games at the Fieldhouse between February 3, 2007 and January 17, 2011 until Texas ended the longest streak in NCAA Division I since 1992 with a 74–63 win against Kansas on January 22, 2011. This streak broke Kansas' previous school record of 62, which lasted from February 26, 1994 through December 18, 1998 (during which time, the Jayhawks, along with the remaining members of the Big Eight Conference merged with the remaining members of the Southwest Conference to become charter members of the Big 12 Conference). The Jayhawks also completed a 55-game streak between February 22, 1984 through January 30, 1988, which remains a record for the Big 8 era.

Home game traditions

Before the start of every Jayhawks home game, before the singing of "The Star-Spangled Banner", it is a tradition to sing the alma mater, "Crimson and the Blue". While singing the alma mater, it is tradition for the students in attendance to put an arm over the shoulders of their neighbors and slowly sway side to side, lifting their arms over their heads as the last line of the song is sung. The song is concluded by the Rock Chalk Chant.

After singing The Star-Spangled Banner, while the opposing team is being introduced, members of the student section take out a copy of the student-run newspaper, The University Daily Kansan, and wave the paper in front of their faces, pretending to be reading it in an effort to show lack of interest in the opposing team. After the opponents are introduced, a short video is shown, detailing the history and the accomplishments of Kansas basketball. As the Jayhawks are introduced, the students rip up their newspapers and throw the confetti pieces of paper in the air as celebration. Whatever confetti remains is typically thrown in the air after the first basket made by the Jayhawks.

If an opposing player fouls out of the game, the fans will "wave the wheat", waving their arms back and forth, as a sarcastic good-bye to the disqualified player, to the tune of "You Didn't Have Your Wheaties", from a series of 1970s television commercials promoting Wheaties breakfast cereal. The same waving motion to the tune of "A Hot Time in the Old Town" follows a Jayhawk victory.

If the Jayhawks are leading comfortably near the end of the game, the crowd begins a slow version of the Rock Chalk Chant, which has become the signature tradition of Allen Fieldhouse. The chant can also occasionally be heard at neutral sites, such as arenas for the NCAA tournament and the nearby Sprint Center on the Missouri side of Kansas City which during the regular season serves as an alternate home arena.

Fans and students will also line up early for Late Night In The Phog, which is the first practice of the season. The practice is viewable to the public and includes skits with past players as the hosts.

Year-by-year Results

SeasonCoachOverallConferenceStandingPostseason
James Naismith(1898–1907)
1898–99James Naismith7–4
1899–00James Naismith3–4
1900–01James Naismith4–8
1901–02James Naismith5–7
1902–03James Naismith7–8
1903–04James Naismith5–8
1904–05James Naismith5–6
1905–06James Naismith12–7
1906–07James Naismith7–8
James Naismith:55–60
Forrest "Phog" Allen (Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association) (1907–1909)
1907–08Phog Allen18–66–01
1908–09Phog Allen25–38–21
Phog Allen:43–914–2
William O. Hamilton (Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association) (1909–1919)
1909–10William Hamilton18–17–11
1910–11William Hamilton12–69–31
1911–12William Hamilton11–76–21
1912–13William Hamilton16–67–32
1913–14William Hamilton17–113–1T-1
1914–15William Hamilton16–113–11
1915–16William Hamilton6–125–114
1916–17William Hamilton12–89–74
1917–18William Hamilton10–89–83
1918–19William Hamilton7–95–95
William Hamilton:125–5983–46
Phog Allen (MVIAA, Big 6, Big 7) (1919–1956)
1919–20Phog AllenA11–79–73
1920–21Phog Allen10–810–84
1921-22Phog Allen16–215–1T-1Helms National Champions
1922-23Phog Allen17–116–01Helms National Champions
1923–24Phog Allen16–315–11
1924–25Phog Allen17–115–11
1925–26Phog Allen16–216–21
1926–27Phog Allen15–210–21
1927–28Phog Allen9–99–94
1928–29Phog Allen3–152–8T-5
1929–30Phog Allen14–47–32
1930–31Phog Allen15–37–31
1931–32Phog Allen13–57–31
1932–33Phog Allen13–48–21
1933–34Phog Allen16–19–11
1934–35Phog Allen15–512–42
1935–36Phog Allen21–210–01
1936–37Phog Allen15–48–2T-1
1937–38Phog Allen18–29–11
1938–39Phog Allen13–76–43
1939–40Phog Allen19–68–2T-1NCAA Runners-up
1940–41Phog Allen12–67–3T-1
1941–42Phog Allen17–58–2T-1NCAA First Round
1942–43Phog Allen22–610–01
1943–44Phog Allen17–95–53
1944–45Phog Allen12–57–32
1945–46Phog Allen19–210–01
1946–47Phog AllenB16–115–5T-3
1947–48Phog Allen9–154–8T-6
1948–49Phog Allen12–123–9T-6
1949–50Phog Allen14–118–4T-1
1950–51Phog Allen16–88–4T-2
1951-52Phog Allen28–311–11National Champions
1952–53Phog Allen19–610–21National Runners-up
1953–54Phog Allen16–510–2T-1
1954–55Phog Allen11–105–75
1955–56Phog Allen14–96–65
Phog Allen:590–219334–122
Dick Harp (Big 7, Big 8) (1956–1964)
1956–57Dick Harp24–311–11National Runners-up
1957–58Dick Harp18–58–4T-2
1958–59Dick Harp11–148–6T-3
1959–60Dick Harp19–910–4T-1Elite Eight
1960–61Dick Harp17–810–4T-2
1961–62Dick Harp7–183–11T-7
1962–63Dick Harp12–135–9T-6
1963–64Dick Harp13–128–63
Dick Harp:121–8253–45
Ted Owens (Big 8) (1964–1983)
1964–65Ted Owens17–89–52
1965–66Ted Owens23–413–11Elite Eight
1966–67Ted Owens23–413–11Second Round(1st round bye, 16 teams in 2nd round)
1967–68Ted Owens22–810–42NIT (Runner-Up)
1968–69Ted Owens20–79–5T-2NIT (First Round)
1969–70Ted Owens17–98–62
1970–71Ted Owens27–314–01Final Four
1971–72Ted Owens11–157–7T-4
1972–73Ted Owens8–184–10T-6
1973–74Ted Owens23–713–11Final Four
1974–75Ted Owens19–811–31First Round (32 Teams)
1975–76Ted Owens13–136–8T-4
1976–77Ted Owens18–108–64
1977–78Ted Owens24–513–11First Round (32 Teams)
1978–79Ted Owens18–118–6T-2
1979–80Ted Owens15–147–7T-3
1980–81Ted Owens24–89–5T-2Sweet Sixteen
1981–82Ted Owens13–144–107
1982–83Ted Owens13–164–10T-7
Ted Owens:348–182170–96
Larry Brown (Big 8) (1983–1988)
1983–84Larry Brown22–109–52Second Round
1984–85Larry Brown26–811–32Second Round
1985-86Larry Brown35–413–11Final Four
1986-87Larry Brown25–119–5T-2Sweet Sixteen
1987–88Larry Brown27–119–53National Champions
Larry Brown:135–4451–19
Roy Williams (Big 8) (1989–1996)
1988-89Roy Williams19–126–86Ineligible
1989-90Roy Williams30–511–3T-2Second Round
1990-91Roy Williams27–810–4T-1National Runners-up
1991-92Roy Williams27–511–31Second Round
1992-93Roy Williams29–711–31Final Four
1993-94Roy Williams27–89–53Sweet Sixteen
1994-95Roy Williams25–611–31Sweet Sixteen
1995-96Roy Williams29–512–21Elite Eight
Roy Williams (Big 12) (1996–2003)
1996-97Roy Williams34–215–11Sweet Sixteen
1997-98Roy Williams35–415–11Second Round
1998-99Roy Williams23–1011–5T-2Second Round
1999-00Roy Williams24–1011–55Second Round
2000–01Roy Williams26–712–4T-2Sweet Sixteen
2001–02Roy Williams33–416–01Final Four
2002–03Roy Williams30–814–21National Runners-up
Roy Williams:418–101175–49
Bill Self (Big 12) (2003–present)
2003–04Bill Self24–912–4T-2Elite Eight
2004–05Bill Self23–712–4T-1First Round
2005–06Bill Self25–813–3T-1First Round
2006–07Bill Self33–514–21Elite Eight
2007–08Bill Self37–313–3T-1National Champions
2008–09Bill Self27–814–21Sweet Sixteen
2009–10Bill Self33–315–11Second Round
2010–11Bill Self35–314–21Elite Eight
2011–12Bill Self32–716–21National Runners-up
2012–13Bill Self31–614–4T-1Sweet Sixteen
2013–14Bill Self25–1014–41Second Round
2014–15Bill Self27–913–51Second Round
2015–16Bill Self33–515–31Elite Eight
2016–17Bill Self31–516–21Elite Eight
2017–18Bill Self31–813–51Final Four
2018–19Bill Self26–1012–63Second Round
Bill Self:473–106220–52
Total:2,274–859
 National champion   Postseason invitational champion  
 Conference regular season champion   Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
 Division regular season champion Division regular season and conference tournament champion
 Conference tournament champion

Record vs. Big 12 opponents

OpponentOverall RecordHomeRoadNeutralLast 5 MeetingsLast 10 MeetingsCurrent StreakSince Beginning
of Big 12
BaylorKU, 29–4KU, 15–0KU, 12–2Tied, 2–2KU, 5–0KU, 10–0W 10KU, 27–4
Iowa StateKU, 179–64KU, 92–16KU, 69–39KU, 18–9ISU, 2–3Tied, 5–5L 1KU, 34–13
Kansas StateKU, 193–93KU, 88–35KU, 77–47KU, 28–11KU, 5–0KU, 8–2W 5KU, 46–5
OklahomaKU, 146–67KU, 74–16KU, 52–42KU, 20–8KU, 4–1KU, 8–2L 1KU, 25–7
Oklahoma StateKU, 113–57KU, 62–11KU, 36–34KU, 15–12KU, 3–2KU, 7–3W 3KU, 24–10
TCUKU, 14–2KU, 6–0KU, 5–1KU, 3–1KU, 4–1KU, 9–1L 1KU, 10–2
TexasKU, 29–8KU, 15–1KU, 9–6KU, 5–1KU, 5–0KU, 9–1W 7KU, 25–7
Texas TechKU, 33–4KU, 17–0KU, 13–4KU, 3–0KU, 5–0KU,10–0W 2KU, 26–4
West VirginiaKU, 7–4KU, 5–0WVU, 1–4KU, 1–0KU, 3–2KU, 6–4W 1KU, 7–4
*As of March 16, 2017.[52][53][54]

Post-season results

Regular season conference championships

The Jayhawks have won 61 conference championships since their inception, including an NCAA record 14 consecutive from 2005 through 2018. The Jayhawks have belonged to the Big 12 Conference since it formed before the 1996–97 season. Before that, the Jayhawks have belonged to the Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association from the 1907–08 to 1927–28 seasons, the Big Six Conference from 1928–29 to 1946–47, the Big Seven Conference from 1947–48 to 1957–58, the Big Eight Conference from 1958–59 up until the end of the 1995–96 season. The Big Six and Big Seven conferences were actually the more often used names of the Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association, which existed under that official name until 1964, when it was changed to the Big Eight.[55]

Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association/Big Eight Conference (43)

  • 1908, 1909, 1910, 1911, 1912, 1914, 1915, 1922, 1923, 1924, 1925, 1926, 1927, 1931, 1932, 1933, 1934, 1936, 1937, 1938, 1940, 1941, 1942, 1943, 1946, 1950, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1957, 1960, 1966, 1967, 1971, 1974, 1975, 1978, 1986, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1996

Big 12 Conference (18)

  • 1997, 1998, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018

Conference tournament championships

The Big Eight Conference did not regularly have a post-season tournament until after the 1977 season. Prior to that teams usually played in the Big Eight (before that, Big Seven) Holiday Tournament in December. The Holiday tournament ended after the 1979 season.

Big Seven/Big Eight Holiday Tournament (13)

  • 1951, 1953, 1956, 1957, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1970, 1974, 1977, 1978

Big Eight Conference (4)

  • 1981, 1984, 1986, 1992

Big 12 Conference (11)

  • 1997, 1998, 1999, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2016, 2018

NCAA Tournament seeding history

The NCAA started seeding all teams in 1979, with Kansas' first subsequent tournament seed in 1981.

Years →'81'84'85'86'87'88'90'91'92'93'94'95'96'97'98'99'00'01'02'03
Seeds→75315623124121168412
Years →'04'05'06'07'08'09'10'11'12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19
Seeds→4341131*121221*114
  • Indicates overall number one seed.

Indicates NCAA championship.

Final Four history

The 2008 NCAA Championship banner located on the northern rafts of Allen Fieldhouse.

The 2008 NCAA Championship banner located on the northern rafts of Allen Fieldhouse.[56]

  • 1940-Finalist

  • 1952-Champion

  • 1953-Finalist

  • 1957-Finalist

  • 1971-Semifinalist

  • 1974-Semifinalist

  • 1986-Semifinalist

  • 1988-Champion

  • 1991-Finalist

  • 1993-Semifinalist

  • 2002-Semifinalist

  • 2003-Finalist

  • 2008-Champion

  • 2012-Finalist

  • 2018-Semifinalist

Men's NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player

  • 1952 – Clyde Lovellette

  • 1953 – B. H. Born*

  • 1957 – Wilt Chamberlain*

  • 1988 – Danny Manning

  • 2008 – Mario Chalmers

*Did not play on a championship team

National Championships

The Jayhawks have won a combined 5 National Championships, two Helms National Championships and three NCAA Tournament National Championships. They claim all five and have National Champions banners hanging in Allen Fieldhouse for each championship.

Helms Athletic Foundation Championships

  • 1921-22

Head Coach:Phog AllenRecord: 16-3
  • 1922-23

Head Coach: Phog AllenRecord: 17-1

NCAA Tournament National Championships

1952

The Jayhawks 1951-52 team won the schools first NCAA Tournament Championship. They were coached by Phog Allen and finished the season with a 28-3 record.

**1952 NCAA Tournament Results**
RoundOpponentScore
First RoundTCU68–64
Second RoundSt. Louis74–55
Final FourSanta Clara74–55
ChampionshipSt. John's80–63

1988

The 1987-88 team won the Jayhawks second NCAA Tournament championship. The Jayhawks were coached by Larry Brown. They finished the season 27–11, which is the lowest winning percentage (.710) and most losses of any team to win the national championship.[57]

**1988 NCAA Tournament Results**
RoundOpponentScore
First RoundNo. 11 Xavier85–72
Second RoundNo. 14 Murray State61–58
Sweet SixteenNo. 7 Vanderbilt77–64
Elite EightNo. 4 Kansas State71–58
Final FourNo. 2 Duke66–59
ChampionshipNo. 1 Oklahoma83–79

2008

The 2007-08 team won the Jayhawks third NCAA Tournament Championship, which is their most recent championship. They were coached by Bill Self and finished the season with a 37-3 record, which is a school record for wins in a season.

**2008 NCAA Tournament Results**
RoundOpponentScore
First RoundNo. 16 Portland State85–61
Second RoundNo. 8 UNLV75–56
Sweet SixteenNo. 12 Villanova72–57
Elite EightNo. 10 Davidson59–57
Final FourNo. 1 North Carolina84–66
ChampionshipNo. 1 Memphis75–68OT

Complete NCAA tournament results

The Jayhawks have appeared in the NCAA Tournament 48 times. Their combined record is 107–48.

YearSeedRoundOpponentResult
1940Elite Eight
Final Four
National Championship
Rice
USC
Indiana
W 50–44
W 43–42
L 42–60
1942Elite Eight
Regional 3rd Place Game
Colorado
Rice
L 44–46
L 53–55
1952Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight
Final Four
National Championship
TCU
Saint Louis
Santa Clara
St. John's
W 68–64
W 74–55
W 74–55
W 80–63
1953Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight
Final Four
National Championship
Oklahoma City
Oklahoma A&M
Washington
Indiana
W 73–65
W 61–55
W 79–53
L 68–69
1957Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight
Final Four
National Championship
SMU
Oklahoma City
San Francisco
North Carolina
W 73–65OT
W 81–61
W 80–56
L 53–543OT
1960Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight
Texas
Cincinnati
W 90–81
L 71–82
1966Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight
SMU
Texas Western
W 76–70
L 80–81
1967Sweet Sixteen
Regional 3rd Place
Houston
Louisville
L 53–66
W 70–68
1971Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight
Final Four
National 3rd Place Game
Houston
Drake
UCLA
WKU
W 78–77
W 73–71
L 60–68
L 75–77
1974Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight
Final Four
National 3rd Place Game
Creighton
Oral Roberts
Marquette
UCLA
W 55–54
W 93–90OT
L 51–64
L 61–78
1975First RoundNotre DameL 71–77
1978First RoundUCLAL 76–83
1981No. 7First Round
Second Round
Sweet Sixteen
No. 10 Ole Miss
No. 2 Arizona State
No. 6 Wichita State
W 69–66
W 88–71
L 65–66
1984No. 5First Round
Second Round
No. 12 Alcorn State
No. 4 Wake Forest
W 57–56
L 59–69
1985No. 3First Round
Second Round
No. 14 Ohio
No. 11 Auburn
W 49–38
L 64–66
1986No. 1First Round
Second Round
Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight
Final Four
No. 16 North Carolina A&T
No. 9 Temple
No. 5 Michigan State
No. 6 NC State
No. 1 Duke
W 71–46
W 65–43
W 96–86OT
W 75–67
L 67–71
1987No. 5First Round
Second Round
Sweet Sixteen
No. 12 Houston
No. 13 SW Missouri State
No. 1 Georgetown
W 66–55
W 67–63
L 57–70
1988No. 6First Round
Second Round
Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight
Final Four
National Championship
No. 11 Xavier
No. 14 Murray State
No. 7 Vanderbilt
No. 4 Kansas State
No. 2 Duke
No. 1 Oklahoma
W 85–72
W 61–58
W 77–64
W 71–58
W 66–59
W 83–79
1990No. 2First Round
Second Round
No. 15 Robert Morris
No. 7 UCLA
W 79–71
L 70–71
1991No. 3First Round
Second Round
Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight
Final Four
National Championship
No. 14 New Orleans
No. 6 Pittsburgh
No. 2 Indiana
No. 1 Arkansas
No. 1 North Carolina
No. 2 Duke
W 55–49
W 77–66
W 83–65
W 93–81
W 79–73
L 65–72
1992No. 1First Round
Second Round
No. 16 Howard
No. 9 UTEP
W 100–67
L 60–66
1993No. 2First Round
Second Round
Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight
Final Four
No. 15 Ball State
No. 7 BYU
No. 6 California
No. 1 Indiana
No. 1 North Carolina
W 94–72
W 90–76
W 93–76
W 83–77
L 68–78
1994No. 4First Round
Second Round
Sweet Sixteen
No. 13 UT Chattanooga
No. 5 Wake Forest
No. 1 Purdue
W 102–73
W 69–58
L 78–83
1995No. 1First Round
Second Round
Sweet Sixteen
No. 16 Colgate
No. 8 WKU
No. 4 Virginia
W 82–68
W 75–70
L 58–67
1996No. 2First Round
Second Round
Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight
No. 15 South Carolina State
No. 10 Santa Clara
No. 3 Arizona
No. 4 Syracuse
W 92–54
W 76–51
W 83–80
L 57–60
1997No. 1First Round
Second Round
Sweet Sixteen
No. 16 Jackson State
No. 8 Purdue
No. 4 Arizona
W 78–64
W 75–61
L 82–85
1998No. 1First Round
Second Round
No. 16 Prairie View A&M
No. 8 Rhode Island
W 110–52
L 75–80
1999No. 6First Round
Second Round
No. 11 Evansville
No. 3 Kentucky
W 95–74
L 88–92OT
2000No. 8First Round
Second Round
No. 9 DePaul
No. 1 Duke
W 81–77OT
L 64–69
2001No. 4First Round
Second Round
Sweet Sixteen
No. 13 Cal State Northridge
No. 5 Syracuse
No. 1 Illinois
W 99–75
W 87–58
L 64–80
2002No. 1First Round
Second Round
Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight
Final Four
No. 16 Holy Cross
No. 8 Stanford
No. 4 Illinois
No. 2 Oregon
No. 1 Maryland
W 70–59
W 86–63
W 73–69
W 104–86
L 88–97
2003No. 2First Round
Second Round
Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight
Final Four
National Championship
No. 15 Utah State
No. 10 Arizona State
No. 3 Duke
No. 1 Arizona
No. 3 Marquette
No. 3 Syracuse
W 64–61
W 108–76
W 69–65
W 78–75
W 94–61
L 78–81
2004No. 4First Round
Second Round
Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight
No. 13 UIC
No. 12 Pacific
No. 9 UAB
No. 3 Georgia Tech
W 78–44
W 78–63
W 100–74
L 71–79OT
2005No. 3First RoundNo. 14 BucknellL 63–64
2006No. 4First RoundNo. 13 BradleyL 73–77
2007No. 1First Round
Second Round
Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight
No. 16 Niagara
No. Kentucky
No. 4 Southern Illinois
No. 2 UCLA
W 107–67
W 88–76
W 61–58
L 55–68
2008No. 1First Round
Second Round
Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight
Final Four
National Championship
No. 16 Portland State
No. 8 UNLV
No. 12 Villanova
No. 10 Davidson
No. 1 North Carolina
No. 1 Memphis
W 85–61
W 75–56
W 72–57
W 59–57
W 84–66
W 75–68OT
2009No. 3First Round
Second Round
Sweet Sixteen
No. 14 North Dakota State
No. 11 Dayton
No. 2 Michigan State
W 84–74
W 60–43
L 62–67
2010No. 1First Round
Second Round
No. 16 Lehigh
No. 9 Northern Iowa
W 90–74
L 67–69
2011*No. 1Second Round
Third Round
Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight
No. 16 Boston University
No. 9 Illinois
No. 12 Richmond
No. 11 VCU
W 72–53
W 73–59
W 77–57
L 61–71
2012*No. 2Second Round
Third Round
Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight
Final Four
National Championship
No. 15 Detroit
No. 10 Purdue
No. 11 NC State
No. 1 North Carolina
No. 2 Ohio State
No. 1 Kentucky
W 65–50
W 63–60
W 60–57
W 80–67
W 64–62
L 59–67
2013*No. 1Second Round
Third Round
Sweet Sixteen
No. 16 WKU
No. 8 North Carolina
No. 4 Michigan
W 64–57
W 70–58
L 85–87OT
2014*No. 2Second Round
Third Round
No. 15 Eastern Kentucky
No. 10 Stanford
W 80–69
L 57–60
2015*No. 2Second Round
Third Round
No. 15 New Mexico State
No. 7 Wichita State
W 75–56
L 65–78
2016No. 1First Round
Second Round
Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight
No. 16 Austin Peay
No. 9 Connecticut
No. 5 Maryland
No. 2 Villanova
W 105–79
W 73–61
W 79–63
L 59–64
2017No. 1First Round
Second round
Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight
No. 16 UC Davis
No. 9 Michigan State
No. 4 Purdue
No. 3 Oregon
W 100–62
W 90–70
W 98–66
L 60–74
2018No. 1First Round
Second Round
Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight
Final Four
No. 16 Penn
No. 8 Seton Hall
No. 5 Clemson
No. 2 Duke
No. 1 Villanova
W 76–60
W 83–79
W 80–76
W 85–81OT
L 79–95
2019No. 4First Round
Second Round
No. 13 Northeastern
No. 5 Auburn
W 87–53
L 75–89

*Following the introduction of the "First Four" round in 2011, the Round of 64 and Round of 32 were referred to as the Second Round and Third Round, respectively, from 2011 to 2015, then from 2016 moving forward, the Round 64 and Round of 32 will be called the First and Second rounds.

NIT results

The Jayhawks have appeared in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) two times. Their combined record is 3–2.

YearRoundOpponentResult
1968First Round
Quarterfinals
Semifinals
Finals
Temple
Villanova
Saint Peter's
Dayton
W 82–76
W 55–49
W 58–46
L 48–61
1969First RoundBoston CollegeL 62–78

Jayhawks of note

All-time scoring leaders

RankPlayerPointsPer gameYears
1Danny Manning2,95120.11985–1988
2Nick Collison2,09714.82000–2003
3Raef LaFrentz2,06615.81995–1998
4Clyde Lovellette1,97924.71950–1952
5Sherron Collins1,88813.22007–2010
6Frank Mason III1,88513.02014–2017
7Darnell Valentine1,82115.41978–1981
8Keith Langford1,81213.32002–2005
9Perry Ellis1,79812.52012–2016
10Paul Pierce1,76816.41996–1998

All-Americans

Consensus first team

Kansas leads all NCAA teams with 30 consensus First Team All-American selections, 23 different players have received the honor.[59]

‡ indicates player has made at least 2000 points and 1000 rebounds in his college career.

Other first team selections

Academic All-Americans

  • 1971 – Bud Stallworth

  • 1974 – Tom Kivisto

  • 1977 – Cris Barnthouse & Ken Koenigs

  • 1978 – Ken Koenigs

  • 1979 – Darnell Valentine

  • 1980 – Darnell Valentine

  • 1981 – Darnell Valentine

  • 1982 – David Magley

  • 1996 – Jacque Vaughn

  • 1997 – Jacque Vaughn† & Jerod Haase

  • 1999 – Ryan Robertson

  • 2010 – Cole Aldrich†

  • 2011 – Tyrel Reed

† indicates Academic All-American of the Year

National Player of the Year awards

  • 1923 – Paul Endacott (Helms Foundation)

  • 1924 – Charlie T. Black (Helms Foundation)

  • 1952 – Clyde Lovellette (Helms Foundation)

  • 1988 – Danny Manning (Wooden, NABC, Naismith)

  • 2002 – Drew Gooden (NABC)

  • 2003 – Nick Collison (NABC)

  • 2017 – Frank Mason III (Consensus)[60][61][62][63][64][65][66]

McDonald's All-Americans

The 47 McDonald's All-Americans listed below have signed with Kansas.[67] An asterisk, "*", Indicates player did not finish his college career at Kansas. A cross, "†", indicates player did not begin his college career at Kansas. The 2015 game had the most future Jayhawks playing in the game with four, however, two players transferred to Kansas and one transferred out of Kansas.

1970–1999
2000–2019

Jayhawk basketball players notable in other fields

Retired jerseys

Thirty players have had their jersey retired by Kansas. One former announcer, Max Falkenstien, is honored with the retired jerseys as well. His number 60 was chosen because that was the number of years he was the radio announcer for the Jayhawks. KU only retires the jerseys, and not the numbers, of past basketball players. Eight players honored played on one of KU's 5 championship teams. Charlie T. Black and Paul Endacott are the only two players with their jerseys retired to play on two championship teams. Four players from the 2008 Championship have their jersey retired, which is the most players honored to be on a roster in any single season in Kansas basketball history.

Kansas Jayhawks retired jerseys
No.PlayerPositionCareer
0Drew GoodenF2000–02
4Nick CollisonF2000–03
Sherron Collins^G2006–10
5Fred PralleG1936–38
Howard EnglemanF1939–41
7Tusten Ackerman†C1923–25
8Charlie T. Black*†G1922–24
10Charles B. BlackF1942–43, 1946–47
Kirk HinrichG2000–03
11Jacque VaughnG1994–97
12Paul Endacott*†G1921–23
13Wilt ChamberlainC1957–58
Walt WesleyC1964–66
14Darnell ValentineG1978–81
15Ray EvansG1942–43, 1946–47
Jo Jo WhiteG1966–69
Bud StallworthF1970–72
Mario Chalmers^G2006–08
16Clyde Lovellette‡C1950–52
23B.H. BornC1952–54
Wayne SimienF2002–05
25Danny Manning#F1985–88
Brandon Rush^F2005–08
26Gale GordonG1925–27
32Bill BridgesF1959–61
34Paul PierceF1995–98
36Al PetersonC1925–27
40Dave RobischF1969–71
45Raef LaFrentzF1994–98
Cole Aldrich^C2007–2010
60Max FalkenstienAnnouncer1945–2006

*Indicates member of 1922 National Championship team†Indicates member of 1923 National Championship team‡Indicates member of 1952 championship team#Indicates member of 1988 National Championship team^Indicates member of 2008 National Championship team

Jayhawks in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame

There are multiple people associated with the University of Kansas in some way that have been enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Some former players have been enshrined as players, while some former players have been enshrined as coaches

Players

  • Wilt Chamberlain

  • Paul Endacott

  • Bill Johnson

  • Allen Kelley (enshrined as member of 1960 Olympic gold medal team)

  • Clyde Lovellette

  • Jo Jo White

Coaches

  • Phog Allen (also a former player)

  • Larry Brown

  • Roy Williams

  • Bill Self

Associated with the University of Kansas, but enshrined for another reason

The following names are people that were associated with the University of Kansas in some way, but were not enshrined for the reason they were associated with Kansas, for example, former players enshrined as a coach.

  • John Bunn, former player and freshman team coach, enshrined as a contributor

  • Dutch Lonborg, former player and athletic director, enshrined as a coach

  • John McLendon, Kansas alumnus, enshrined as a contributor and as a coach[69]

  • Ralph Miller, former player, enshrined as a coach

  • James Naismith, former coach, enshrined as the inventor of basketball

  • Ernie Quigley, former player, enshrined as a referee

  • Adolph Rupp, former player, enshrined as a coach

  • Dean Smith, former player, enshrined as a coach

Olympians

Representing the United States men's national basketball team unless otherwise noted.

YearPlayerMedal
1952Phog Allen (assistant coach)Gold medal icon.svg
1952Charlie HoagGold medal icon.svg
1952Bill HouglandGold medal icon.svg
1952John KellerGold medal icon.svg
1952Dean KelleyGold medal icon.svg
1952Bob KenneyGold medal icon.svg
1952Bill LienhardGold medal icon.svg
1952Clyde LovelletteGold medal icon.svg
1956Bill HouglandGold medal icon.svg
1960Allen KelleyGold medal icon.svg
1968Jo Jo WhiteGold medal icon.svg
1980Darnell Valentine
1988Danny ManningBronze medal icon.svg
2012Sasha Kaun (Russia)Bronze medal icon.svg

*Valentine was selected to the US team, but the USA boycotted the 1980 summer Olympics.

Jayhawks in the NBA

The Jayhawks have multiple connections to the NBA. Below is a list of former players and coaches. People that are currently coaches or in management will show their current job, as well as how they are associated with Kansas basketball.

Current management

  • R. C. Buford – General Manager San Antonio Spurs, assistant coach 1983–1988

  • Kevin Pritchard – General Manager Indiana Pacers, player 1986–1990

Coaches

  • Alvin Gentry – Head Coach, New Orleans Pelicans, assistant coach, 1986–1989

  • Gregg Popovich – Head Coach, San Antonio Spurs, volunteer assistant 1986–1987 season

  • Jacque Vaughn – Assistant coach, Brooklyn Nets, played at Kansas 1993–1997

  • Terry Nooner – Assistant coach, Cleveland Cavaliers, played at Kansas 1996–2000

G-League coaches

  • Chase Buford – Wisconsin Herd

Current players

Below is a list of former Jayhawk basketball on NBA rosters. Free agents should not be included on the list. Players with an asterisk are players that have been assigned to the G-League. In the offseason, players who were signed to a team's summer league roster should not be included.

  • Cheick Diallo – Phoenix Suns

  • Joel Embiid — Philadelphia 76ers

  • Devonte' Graham – Charlotte Hornets

  • Josh Jackson - Memphis Grizzlies

  • Dedric Lawson – San Antonio Spurs

  • Ben McLemore – Houston Rockets

  • Marcus Morris – New York Knicks

  • Markieff Morris – Detroit Pistons

  • Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk – Detroit Pistons

  • Kelly Oubre Jr. – Phoenix Suns

  • Wayne Selden Jr. — Chicago Bulls

  • Andrew Wiggins — Minnesota Timberwolves

Two-way players

NBA teams can sign players to two–way contracts allowing them to easily transition back and forth from the NBA team and their G–League affiliate based on the needs of the team.

  • Frank Mason III – Milwaukee Bucks / Wisconsin Herd

Jayhawks in the NBA G-League

Below are former Jayhawks under contract with a G-League team but are not on a two-way contract with an NBA team or under contract with an NBA team but on assignment to the G-League.

  • Malik Newman — Canton Charge

Former players

Draft history

  • 86 total NBA draft picks.[72]

  • 37 players drafted 30th or better. 37 if including territorial pick Wilt Chamberlain. (Equivalent to 1st round picks by modern draft standards.)

  • 22 players drafted 31–60th. (Equivalent to 2nd round picks by modern draft standards.)

Territorial Picks From 1947–65 the draft allowed teams not drawing fans to select a local player, in place of their first round pick.

YearPlayerTeam
1959Wilt ChamberlainPhiladelphia Warriors

Regular Draft

YearRoundPickOverallPlayerTeam
1947Ray EvansNew York Knicks
1948Otto SchnellbacherProvidence Steamrollers
1952199Clyde LovelletteMinneapolis Lakers
19538Dean KelleyFort Wayne Zollner Pistons
19531132Gil ReichBoston Celtics
19543422B. H. BornFort Wayne Zollner Pistons
19547256Alan KelleyMilwaukee Hawks
19576848Maury KingBoston Celtics
195910671Ron LoneskiSt. Louis Hawks
19613932Bill BridgesChicago Packers
1962155Wayne HightowerSan Francisco Warriors
19634228Nolen EllisonBaltimore Bullets
19658768George UnseldLos Angeles Lakers
1966166Walt WesleyCincinnati Royals
1966133103Al LopesBaltimore Bullets
19674233Ronald FranzDetroit Pistons
196898114Roger BohnenstielNew York Knicks
1969199Jo Jo WhiteBoston Celtics
19694548Dave NashChicago Bulls
19691113154Bruce SloanPhiladelphia 76ers
19713944Dave RobischBoston Celtics
197141364Walter Roger BrownLos Angeles Lakers
19711312207Pierre RussellMilwaukee Bucks
1972177Bud StallworthSeattle SuperSonics
1972144184Aubrey NashBaltimore Bullets
197572110Rick SuttleLos Angeles Lakers
1975818144Roger MorningstarBoston Celtics
197611616Norm CookBoston Celtics
1977714124Herb NoblesDetroit Pistons
197851199Ken KoenigsCleveland Cavaliers
197868118John DouglasNew Orleans Jazz
197922042Paul MokeskiHouston Rockets
19801012211Randy CarrollPhoenix Suns
198111616Darnell ValentinePortland Trail Blazers
19813147Art HouseyDallas Mavericks
1981722160John CrawfordPhiladelphia 76ers
19822528Dave MagleyCleveland Cavaliers
198222346Tony GuyBoston Celtics
198441080Carl HenryKansas City Kings
198491185Brian MartinIndiana Pacers
1984915199Kelly KnightUtah Jazz
19862226Greg DreilingIndiana Pacers
198621842Ron KelloggAtlanta Hawks
19864171Calvin ThompsonNew York Knicks
1988111Danny ManningLos Angeles Clippers
198832575Archie MarshallSan Antonio Spurs
19902734Kevin PritchardGolden State Warriors
199112626Mark RandallChicago Bulls
199311616Rex WaltersNew Jersey Nets
199321542Adonis JordanSeattle SuperSonics
199421138Darrin HancockCharlotte Hornets
199512828Greg OstertagUtah Jazz
199711919Scot PollardDetroit Pistons
199712727Jacque VaughnUtah Jazz
1998133Raef LaFrentzDenver Nuggets
199811010Paul PierceBoston Celtics
199921645Ryan RobertsonSacramento Kings
200121445Eric ChenowithNew York Knicks
2002144Drew GoodenMemphis Grizzlies
2003177Kirk HinrichChicago Bulls
200311212Nick CollisonSeattle SuperSonics
200512929Wayne SimienMiami Heat
200711313Julian WrightNew Orleans Hornets
200811313Brandon RushPortland Trail Blazers
200812727Darrell ArthurNew Orleans Hornets
20082434Mario ChalmersMinnesota Timberwolves
200822252Darnell JacksonMiami Heat
200822959Sasha KaunSeattle SuperSonics
201011111Cole AldrichNew Orleans Hornets
201011212Xavier HenryMemphis Grizzlies
201111313Markieff MorrisPhoenix Suns
201111414Marcus MorrisHouston Rockets
201121949Josh SelbyMemphis Grizzlies
2012155Thomas RobinsonSacramento Kings
201221141Tyshawn TaylorBrooklyn Nets
2013177Ben McLemoreSacramento Kings
20132939Jeff WitheyPortland Trail Blazers
2014111Andrew WigginsCleveland Cavaliers
2014133Joel EmbiidPhiladelphia 76ers
201511515Kelly OubreAtlanta Hawks
20162333Cheick DialloLos Angeles Clippers
2017144Josh JacksonPhoenix Suns
20172434Frank Mason IIISacramento Kings
20182434Devonte' GrahamAtlanta Hawks
201821747Sviatoslav MykhailiukLos Angeles Lakers

NBA Award winners

Below are Jayhawks that have won an award in the NBA such as MVP, Rookie of the Year, etc. Not included are Jayhawks who made All-Star or All-NBA teams, or Jayhawks that have won All-Star game MVP, the dunk contest, or 3 point contest. Ten times a Jayhawk have won a major award, five different Jayhawks have won awards. The only major award a Jayhawk has never won is Defensive Player of the Year. Wilt Chamberlain won an award six times during his career including four MVP Awards.

SeasonPlayerTeamAward
1959-60Wilt ChamberlainPhiladelphia WarriorsMVP
Rookie of the Year
1965-66Wilt ChamberlainPhiladelphia 76ersMVP
1966-67Wilt ChamberlainPhiladelphia 76ersMVP
1967-68Wilt ChamberlainPhiladelphia 76ersMVP
1971-72Wilt ChamberlainLos Angeles LakersNBA Finals MVP
1975-76Jo Jo WhiteBoston CelticsNBA Finals MVP
1997-98Danny ManningPhoenix SunsSixth Man of the Year
2007-08Paul PierceBoston CelticsNBA Finals MVP
2014-15Andrew WigginsMinnesota TimberwolvesRookie of the Year

Current Jayhawk college coaches

Division I Head Coaches – former head coaches

Division I Head Coaches – former players

  • Tad Boyle, Colorado

  • Rex Walters, San Francisco

and

  • Jerod Haase, Stanford

  • Danny Manning, Wake Forest

  • Mark Turgeon, Maryland

Division I head coaches – former assistants

  • John Calipari, Kentucky

  • Joe Dooley, Florida Gulf Coast

  • Barry Hinson, Southern Illinois (Former Director of basketball operations)

  • Tim Jankovich, Southern Methodist University

  • Bill Self, Kansas

  • Kevin Stallings, Pittsburgh

Division I head coaches – Kansas alumni

  • Tim Carter, South Carolina State (Bachelor's degree from Kansas)

  • Mark Fox, Georgia (Master's degree from Kansas)

Division I assistants – former players

  • Jeremy Case, Kansas

  • Michael Lee, San Francisco

  • C. B. McGrath, North Carolina

  • Steve Woodberry, Missouri State

  • Brett Ballard, Wake Forest

Division I assistants – former assistants

  • Justin Bauman, San Francisco, Director of Basketball Operations (Manager under Williams and Self, Bachelor's degree from Kansas)

  • Jay Price, Illinois, Assistant Coach (Manager under Brown and Williams, Bachelor's degree from Kansas)

  • John Robic, Kentucky

  • Steve Robinson, North Carolina

Division II head coaches

  • Blake Flickner, Dallas Baptist (Former KU manager under Roy Williams)

  • Jeff Guiot, Southwest Baptist (Guiot is a former KU player, finished at Pitt State)

  • Shawn Scanlan, Eastern New Mexico (Bachelor's degree from Kansas)

  • Ben Miller, NC-Pembroke (KU assistant 2000–03)

  • Jeff Boschee, Missouri Southern State University (Former KU Player 1998–2002)[73]

NCAA records

Active streaks

  • 25+ win seasons: 15, since 2006

  • 20+ win seasons: 31, since 1990

  • Consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances: 30, since 1990

  • Consecutive Weeks ranked: 200, Since February 2, 2009

  • Most consecutive coaches leading team to Final Four: 6

As of the conclusion of the 2018–19 regular season

Team

  • Largest unranked-to-ranked jump: From unranked to No. 4 after beating No. 1 (UNLV), No. 2 (LSU), and No. 25 (SJU) in the 1989 preseason NIT.[74]

  • Most wins over an opponent in a single calendar year: 5 (Over Nebraska in 1909 and Kansas State in 1935)

  • Consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances: 30, 1990 to 2019 (active streak)

  • Consecutive regular season conference championships: 14, 2005 to 2018

Individual

  • Career games scoring in double figures: 132, Danny Manning

  • Rebounds in first career game: 31, Wilt Chamberlain, vs. Northwestern, December 5, 1956

  • Most blocks in a single NCAA tournament: 31, Jeff Withey

Other

  • Most winning seasons: 101

  • Most non-losing seasons (.500 or better): 104

  • Most regular season conference championships: 61

  • Most Consensus first-team All-Americans: 23

  • Most Consensus first-team All-American selections: 30

See also

  • NCAA Men's Division I Final Four appearances by coaches

  • NCAA Men's Division I Final Four appearances by school

  • List of teams with the most victories in NCAA Division I men's college basketball

  • NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament Consecutive Appearances

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