RETIRED J E R SE YS of
ALLEN FIELDHOUSE From James Naismith’s prized players to modern miracle-makers like Manning and Chalmers — the jerseys of 32 legends hang from the rafters of Allen Fieldhouse. Here are their stories.
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From the editor’s desk AMIE JUST @amie_just
It goes without saying just how special it is to play basketball for Kansas. It’s an opportunity only offered to a select few. Nearly 800 Kansas men’s and women’s basketball letterwinners have played in Allen Fieldhouse, Hoch Auditoria or Robinson Gymnasium in the program’s 118 year history. But the scrupulous fraternity of retired jerseys is even more elite, as only 32 people’s efforts — thus
far — have warranted the retirement of their jersey. The 32nd jersey retirement occurred on Wednesday, as Brandon Rush’s No. 25 now hangs in its rightful place in Allen Fieldhouse. It’s important to note that Kansas retires jerseys. Kansas doesn’t retire numbers — at least it hasn’t yet. If that were the case, Kansas basketball players wouldn’t be left with many numbers to choose from. (That’s also why there are three No. 25s dangling in Allen Fieldhouse, as Rush joins B.H. Born and Danny
Manning in that trio.) The “long-standing” tradition of retiring jerseys isn’t as established as one would think. Kansas first intended to retire the jerseys of Clyde Lovellette, Manning, Born, Charlie B. Black, Paul Endacott, Wilt Chamberlain and Charlie T. Black during the 199192 season. (Chamberlain’s jersey was retired in 1998). Originally, players needed to be named college basketball player of the year, most valuable player of the NCAA Tournament or be named All-American four times
to have automatic jersey retirement. In 1997, the criteria loosened for Ray Evans, an All-American in both football and basketball. Before the 2002-03 season, induction criteria was expanded again to include consensus firstteam All-Americans, two-time first-team AllAmerica selections and Academic All-American of the Year. Only one non-player has a jersey retired: Max Falkenstien. A jersey bearing Falkenstien’s name and the number “60” was added to the rafters in 2006 after his 60 year broadcasting career
calling Kansas football and basketball games. Of the 32, there are stories that are told again and again, like the career stories of Chamberlain and Mario Chalmers. And then there are others, like Angela Aycock, an All-American Kansas basketball player who, after retiring from her WNBA career, became a nun in the Russian Orthodox Church. In honor of Rush’s jersey being officially memorialized in the Kansas basketball mecca alongside other Kansas legends, here are the stories of the 32 retired jerseys.
H O WA R D ENGLEMAN
Forward, 1939–1941 No. 5 KELLY BRITTON @KellyB302
Photo courtesy of University Archives
AL PETERSON
Center, 1925–1927 No. 36
MICHAEL SWAIN
By the end of his career, the 6-foot-3 Peterson played in 53 games and scored 461 points for an average of 8.7 points Al Peterson was one of Phog per game. He only lost five games in those three seasons. Allen’s best centers. At the end of the 1927 season, the Lawrence Journal-World asked James Playing for the Jayhawks from 1925- Naismith to select an “All-Modern KU 27, Peterson garnered first-team All- Basketball Team” from the 1923-27 teams. Missouri Valley Conference awards all Naismith came back with Paul Endacott, three seasons, and was a two-time first- Tus Ackerman, Charlie T. Black, Gordon team All-American in 1925 and Peterson. and 1926. His 1926 firstThe University team All-American honor yearbook, the “Jayhawker,” was a consensus selection, Peterson led the celebrated their success, marking the 10th time a writing “Peterson, Gordon, Jayhawk was tabbed to that Jayhawks in scoring and Schmidt are too list. He and his teammate strong a combination for Gale Gordon were both in both the 1926 the opposing teams to named consensus firstovercome in the offensive team All-Americans that and 1927 seasons. part of the game. Without season. question, this trio is one of From 1925-27, Kansas He averaged 9.1 the smoothest and fastest won three conference titles scoring combinations ever in a row, continuing the points and 10.3 unleashed on a college success that fellow Kansas basketball floor.” legends Paul Endacott, points in those His No. 36 jersey was Charlie T. Black and Tusten lifted in the rafters on Jan. “Tus” Ackerman had in the years, respectively. 15, 2003, the same day as seasons before them. Gordon. He, like Gordon, Peterson led the is enshrined in the Kansas Jayhawks in scoring in both Athletics Hall of Fame. the 1926 and 1927 seasons. He averaged 9.1 points and 10.3 points in those years, — Edited by Casey Brown respectively. @mswain97
In 1938, Kansas brought a man on campus who was not only an extraordinary basketball player, but also an extraordinary student and human being; his name was Howard Engleman. Howard “Rope” Engleman was born on Nov. 20, 1919 in Elmer, Missouri. He was listed at 6-foot and 170 pounds, and played forward. Given the nickname “Rope” because of his very curly, blond hair, he attended Arkansas City High School, where in his junior and senior seasons he would lead the Bulldogs to second-place and thirdplace finishes in the state tournament. Engleman graduated from high school in 1937, and would enter Kansas in 1938. In his 1940 season, Howard would lead the team to a Big Six Conference championship, and then took the Jayhawks all the way to the NCAA tournament championship game for the first time in school history, being selected to the 1940 NCAA Final Four all-tournament team before the Jayhawks lost to Indiana. He would end his playing days for the Kansas on a high note, not only averaging the most points per game in school history up to that point, with 16.1 points per game on the way to earning first team All-American honors, but also being recognized as Kansas’ 1941 scholastic honor man of the year. For the second year in a row, Kansas would win the Big Six. Over the course of his three-year career, Engelman would become only the second player in Kansas history to be a consensus first-team All-American, while also racking up a selection on the all-tournament team in 1940 and two selections to the All-Big Six in 1940 and 1941. After graduating from Kansas in 1941, Engelman fought for the Navy in World War II. While fighting in the Pacific theater in 1945, he sustained injuries when a kamikaze plane hit his ship and he got caught
Photo courtesy of University Archives
in the flames. These injuries would not stop Engelman, however, and he returned to the University as a law student. He would become a freshman coach for Phog Allen, and would later on get a chance to coach the varsity team. When Allen became sick in the 1946-47 season, Engleman took over as coach for half of the season, leading the Jayhawks to an 8-6 record during his tenure. After graduating from law school, Howard worked as an attorney until his retirement. Engleman was almost 90 years old when his No. 5 jersey was finally hung from the rafters on March 1, 2003. It was a special moment for the Jayhawk great, as he addressed the crowd with his well-known sense of humor while wearing his old letterman jacket. This was not the last time Engelman would be honored, as in 2006 he was also enshrined into the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame. Engleman passed away Jan. 12, 2011, the last surviving member of the 1940 Kansas Jayhawks team that made the championship game of the NCAA tournament. However, what he was remembered for was more than just his abilities on the basketball court. Engelman was an incredibly smart person, but he was even more funny than he was smart; even during his speech at his enshrinement into the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame he was cracking
jokes, including this gem: “When they were putting together this group, they wanted Jack Mitchell [Former coach of the University of Kansas football team] most of all, of course, and they called Jack and said, “could you make it?” and Jack said, “On one condition, that is that you also induct Howard Engleman,” and Ted Hayes [Former Director of the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame] said, “Howard what? How is that spelled? Who is it?” One of them [hall of fame board] volunteered there was an Engleman at K-State on the debate team. Richard said, “No, I’m sure that he went to KU, but we’ll have to do some research. So, he got Harold Bouchard and Max Falkenstien [Former radio sports announcer for KU] himself to go back through all the old records, finally they made the report, which was that the records don’t go back that far.” Although Engelman earned his fair share of awards on the court for the Jayhawks, enough to earn him a spot in the rafters on its own, his selection has just as much to do with what he did for the school as a whole. He was not just a standout basketball player, but a standout person as well. The metaphorical rope which connected Engelman to life may have been cut, but the physical rope holding his jersey up in the rafters will never fray, much like Engleman’s spirit and personality never did.
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GALE G ORDON Center, 1925–1927 No. 26
MICHAEL SWAIN @mswain97
From 1923 to 1927, Kansas owned the Missouri Valley Conference. The Jayhawks had won five-straight conference titles and lost only nine games during that time. That run of conference championships was the longest in school history until Kansas had won sixstraight Big 12 rings in 2010. A large piece of that later success was Gale Gordon, a two-time first-team AllAmerican and All-Missouri Valley center. Gordon’s All-American honor in 1926 was a consensus firstteam All-American award. Gordon played for the
Jayhawks for three seasons from 1925-27. Suiting up in 49 games, Gordon scored 219 points for an average of 4.5 per game. In one of those early 49 games, Gordon was on hand when the Jayhawks won their 300th game, a 33-11 win over Iowa State in 1925. At the conclusion of the 1927 season, the Lawrence Journal-World asked James Naismith to select an “All-Modern KU Basketball Team” from the 1923-27 teams. Naismith selected Paul Endacott, Tus Ackerman, Charlie T. Black, Gordon and Al Peterson, according to Phog Allen in his book, “Better Basketball.” But the 1926 championship didn’t look like it was going to happen. Through four games, Kansas started the season 2-2 after dropping
the season opener to Washington (Mo.) 1825 and a game against Oklahoma 21-29.
The University yearbook, the “Jayhawker,” celebrated their success, writing, “Peterson, Gordon, and Schmidt were too strong a combination for the opposing teams ... Without question, this trio is one of the smoothest and fastest scoring combinations ever unleashed on a college basketball floor.” In Allen’s book “Better Basketball,” after, “a neat Dr. Jekyll-Mr. Hyde stunt, playing the Sooners off their feet in the first half and being just as badly outclassed in the second frame,” he changed the
FRED PR ALLE
Guard, 1936–1938 No. 5 AUSTIN GARCIA @Austin_TG15
Fred Pralle is a name most people have never heard of, but he is one of the best players to ever come through Kansas. In the book “Making Basketball,” coach Phog Allen said, “In my personal opinion, he was the greatest guard that KU ever had.” That is how special of a player he was. Pralle, a 6-foot-3 guard, was recruited out of St. Louis and played for the Jayhawks from 193638. The first televised basketball game was in 1940, shortly after Pralle’s time in college. However, if sports were broadcast on television during this time, undoubtedly many players today would watch his highlights and model their game after his. “Fabulous Fred,” as many called him, dominated collegiate basketball in the late 30s. Today, Jayhawk fans are spoiled with the iconic Allen Fieldhouse, but the Fieldhouse was not built until 1955. Pralle played his career at Kansas in Hoch Auditorium, also known as “Horrible Hoch” because opposing teams had trouble dealing with the tight area surrounding the court. Also, in today’s era, there are stats for everything and anything possible. In the 1930s, statistics were not maintained in such an official and formal manner. According to Kansas Athletics records, Pralle averaged 8.8 points per game in 1937, and 10.7 points per game in 1938. Those marks led the team both seasons.
However, statistics are not needed to enforce how great of a player Pralle was. He was the definition of a winner and a workhorse. His first year in 1936 was nothing short of spectacular. In the regular season, Kansas posted a strong winning percentage in the Big Six and was one win shy of representing the United States in the Olympic Games. In Pralle’s second year he began to blossom into a young prodigy. He led the Jayhawks to a tie with Nebraska for the Big Six Conference Championship. In 1938, his 10.7 points per game led the conference, letting the nation know how great of a player he was in his final year. He became Kansas’
lineup. Allen switched Glenn Burton and Gordon’s positions. Kansas didn’t
first ever consensus AllAmerican, paving the way for other Kansas players like Clyde Lovellette, Wilt Chamberlain, Danny Manning and many other greats.
“I can tell you that Pralle was a one man team.” – PHOG ALLEN Had the NCAA tournament begun in 1938 instead of one year later in 1939, many experts believe Kansas would have another national championship on its resume, according to the book “100 Things Kansas Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die.” The Jayhawks
Photo courtesy of University Archives
Photo courtesy of University Archives
lose another game that season. The University yearbook, the “Jayhawker,” celebrated their success, writing, “Peterson, Gordon, and Schmidt were too strong a combination
for the opposing teams to overcome in the offensive part of the game. Without question, this trio is one of the smoothest and fastest scoring combinations ever unleashed on a college basketball floor.”
Gordon’s No. 26 jersey was lifted into the rafters in 2003. He is also enshrined in the Kansas Athletics Hall of Fame.
posted an 18-2 overall record and won the Big Six Conference Championship by a landslide. “I can tell you that Pralle was a one man team,” Allen said in “Making Basketball.” “We won the championship with a bunch of no-names and Pralle, who was an absolute great.” Altogether, Pralle led Kansas to three straight
Big Six titles (1936, 1937 and 1938), and was a three-time all-Big Six selection. He finished his career with 541 total points. After graduating from the University, Pralle played for the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) with the Phillips 66ers and won three national championships in his seven years with the team.
Pralle passed away in 1998. His jersey was retired Jan. 15, 2003, and hangs high in the rafters of Allen Fieldhouse, representing the greatest players from Kansas.
— Edited by Ashley Hocking
— Edited by Brendan Dzwierzynski
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PA U L E N D A C O T T Guard-forward, 1921-1923 No. 12 RAELEY YOUNGS @raeleyy
Called “the greatest player I ever coached” by Phog Allen, Paul Endacott certainly lived up to that remark during his time at Kansas. A Lawrence native, he learned to play basketball at the local YMCA from none other than Dr. James Naismith. Endacott began his collegiate basketball career in 1921 as a guard/ forward combo for the Jayhawks. During his junior and senior years, Endacott led his team to two conference championships and two Helms Foundation National Championships in 1922 and 1923. He was also named to the
All-Conference and AllAmerican teams both years. According to the Kansas Alumni Association, Allen enjoyed reminiscing on a particular game against Missouri during Endacott’s senior year. Endacott grabbed 16-straight jump balls in the last minutes of the game and later collapsed in the locker room due to exhaustion. The Jayhawks prevailed 21-19 that day, a key win in their route to the conference championship that added to their undefeated conference record of 16-0. In 1923, Endacott was named the Helms Foundation Player of the Year, the first Kansas player to receive that honor. He was also Kansas’ first Honor man, an annual award for the student displaying leadership, scholastic achievement and greatest overall contribution to the student body and University. After graduating from Kansas with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering, Endacott played AAU
basketball for five seasons with the Phillips 66 Oilers. He then went on to work for Phillips Petroleum and eventually became president of the company in 1951. One of Kansas’ first greats, Endacott was named to the Associated Press All-Time AllAmerican Second Team and Phog Allen’s National All-Time College Team. Later in life, Endacott received many awards for his contributions to basketball. He received the Sportsmen’s World Award for basketball for “Performances and exemplary personal conduct which have stood the test of time” in 1969. In 1972, he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. He was also inducted into the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame in 2009. Endacott’s No. 12 was lifted into the rafters on Jan. 25, 1992, five years before his passing. Photo courtesy of University Archives
— Edited by Erin Brock
TUS ACK ER M A N
Center, 1923-1925 No. 7 RAELEY YOUNGS @raeleyy
Today, typical single-digit basketball numbers are zero through five. But there are a few jerseys hanging in the rafters in Allen Fieldhouse with less than traditional numbers. Tusten “Tus” Ackerman sported one of those unorthodox basketball numbers — No. 7. Ackerman was born in Oklahoma, but spent his childhood and teen years in Lawrence. He led Lawrence High to the state basketball tournament title game in 1921, where he was named captain of the all-tourney team. He went on to play forward and center for the
“He did not miss a Jayhawks from 1923-1925 and was the team’s leading scorer in all three of those seasons. In coach Phog Allen’s book “Better Basketball,” he described an amazing game that Ackerman played against rival Missouri. “He did not miss a free throw and his field goals were the balance of power in a smashing 26-15 upset victory for Kansas,” Allen wrote. As a member of the 1923 Helms Foundation Championship team, he led all Kansas scorers in that game with seven points. During his senior year in 1925, he was named team captain and lead all scorers in the Missouri Valley Conference at 10.2 points per game. Ackerman helped Kansas to win three straight Missouri Valley conference championships during his time as a Jayhawk. He left Kansas with a record of 49-5 through three
free throw and his field goals were the balance of power in a smashing 26-15 upset victory for Kansas.”
– PHOG ALLEN
seasons, and was named to the All-Missouri Valley team and All-American team in 1924 and 1925. Ackerman went on to play AAU basketball with
Photo courtesy of University Archives
Kansas City Athletic Club’s Blue Diamonds after college, where he won a championship in 1926. Even when his basketball career was
over, Kansas basketball remained a significant part of Ackerman’s life. Ackerman married the daughter of W.O.
Hamilton, Kansas’ basketball coach from 1909-19. Additionally, his daughter, Ann, married the captain of the 1950 Kansas basketball team, Claude Houchin. Ackerman’s jersey was officially retired on Jan. 15, 2003, six years after his death.
— Edited by Erin Brock
C H A R L I E T. B L A C K Guard, 1922-1924 No. 8 RAELEY YOUNGS @raeleyy
Charlie T. Black played baseball, basketball and football for the University of Kansas, but found his greatest success in basketball.
He became eligible to play college basketball at the beginning of his sophomore year in 1922. Black was persuaded to attend Kansas by coach Phog Allen, who promised him that he would help him to get a coaching job after graduation. Black’s greatest strength was his intense defensive style and ball control, which proved valuable throughout his career, leading Kansas to win Missouri Valley Conference championships
all three years of his collegiate career. He also contributed to the Jayhawks’ 1922 and 1923 Helms Foundation National Championships and was awarded Player of the Year in 1924 by that same organization. His other accolades include being named to the AllConference and AllAmerican teams in 1923 and 1924. After leaving Kansas, Black became the head coach at Grinnell College with the help of Allen, as promised. He then took the
position of head coach for the Nebraska Cornhuskers from 1927-1932 where he finished with an overall record of 51-57, including a 5-7 record against Kansas. During his coaching stint with Nebraska, Black was also a fundamental part in making the transition from the Missouri Valley Conference to form the new Big Six Conference. — Edited by Christian Hardy
Photo courtesy of University Archives
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B.H. BORN
Center, 1952-1954 No. 25 MITCH GEORGE @MitchLGeorge
A home-grown talent hailing from Osawatomie, Bert “B.H.” Born is a prime embodiment of old-fashioned basketball: post play and
Photo courtesy of University Archives
rebounding. Despite lacking girth, Born used his aboveaverage agility to gain an advantage over other centers with a more traditional style of play. “We didn’t have much size — we won on hustle,” Born once said in an interview. “Our forte was the pressure … We played a pretty wicked defense.” Born was a national champion alongside Clyde Lovellette in 1952, although he didn’t have a significant role because he served as backup to Lovellette. The following year, Born took control of the team as if it was personally passed down to him. After inheriting the team, Born saw his points
Photo courtesy of University Archives
per game average jump from 1.6 to 18.9 — an impressive turnaround to say the least. In 1953, the Jayhawks finished the season with a 17-5 record, which clinched a berth into the NCAA tournament for the secondconsecutive season. Born added 11 points as Kansas defeated Oklahoma City 73-65 in the first round of the tournament.
In the ensuing round, the Jayhawks were matched up with another Oklahoma team, this time in the form of Oklahoma A&M (currently Oklahoma State). Born dropped 18 points as Kansas advanced with a six-point victory. In what turned out to be an embarrassingly lopsided affair, Born powered the Jayhawks with 25 points as they toppled Washington
79-53 to advance to the national championship game. Born reflected on a speech given by coach Phog Allen in the locker room before they stepped on the court to play Washington. He noted that his speech was so impactful that many players were teary-eyed before tipoff. This road was impressive, but the team ultimately fell short of being crowned champions, and it could not have been closer. In fact, one more successful shot would have added another banner to the rafters of modern-day Allen Fieldhouse. The ball was in Kansas’s hands for the last possession, but Jerry Alberts’ last-second shot missed short of the
rim. The final score of the championship was 69-68 in favor of Indiana. It was in this game, however, where Born posted his careerbest performance. In a remarkable display of athleticism and versatility, he scored 26 points, grabbed 15 rebounds and blocked 13 shots. To this day, this performance is regarded as one of the most outstanding championship showings of all time. This was before modern statkeeping systems were implemented, so he never received official credit for a triple-double. Although Kansas was unable to win the championship, Born was awarded Most Valuable
Player for his performance in the tournament. Never before had a player from the losing team win the award. Born’s other accolades include being named as an All-Big Seven Conference player twice and as an AllAmerican in 1953. He also holds a spot in the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame. Born was selected No. 22 in the 1954 NBA draft by the Fort Wayne Pistons, but never played at that level. Born has been immortalized as one of the best Kansas basketball players to ever set foot on a court. His jersey was retired in 1992.
CHARLIE B. Forward, 1942-1943 & 1946-1947 B L A C K No. 10 SHAUN GOODWIN @ShaunGoodwinUDK
Of all the famous players to have their jerseys hang from the rafters in Allen Fieldhouse, Charlie B. Black, also known as “The Hawk” by his teammates and fans, is perhaps one of the mostdecorated players in Kansas history. Black was not only a fourtime All-Big Six Conference player, but he is also the only player in Kansas history to be a four-time first-team All-American. In honor of his memory, the Jayhawks locker room at Allen Fieldhouse is named after him. The Arco, Idaho, native graduated from Southwest High School in Kansas City, Missouri, in 1940, which closed its doors for the final time in 2016. Black spent his freshman year at the University of Wisconsin studying agriculture, before making the move back to the Kansas City area to play basketball for the Jayhawks
in 1941. In his first season with Kansas, Black made an instant impact, earning his first of four All-American honors en route to a 17-5 season for the Jayhawks. In his second season, along with Kansas great Ray Evans, Black led the Jayhawks to their fourthconsecutive Big Six title with a record of 22-6. In a year when Kansas looked destined for an NCAA title, Kansas’ squad was torn apart, as all of its players were sent off to fight in World War II after its final regular season game. During the war, Capt. Black won a Distinguished Flying Cross, completing 51 missions as a reconnaissance pilot for the Army Air Corps. On his return to Kansas in 1945, Black recorded his most successful season in a Kansas jersey as a junior, posting an average of 16.3 points per game and 326 points overall for the season. That year, with help from Hall of Famer Otto Schnellbacher,
Black earned his third All-American honor, as the Jayhawks finished the season 19-2, with the only two losses coming to eventual NCAA champions Oklahoma A&M (now Oklahoma State). Black also led the conference in scoring that year, the only year he managed to do so. Black’s senior year at Kansas didn’t demonstrate the extraordinary success that he experienced in his first three years, as the Jayhawks fell to a 16-11 record, with Black only recording an average of 11.3 points per game. Despite this, Black surpassed the 1,000-point mark, the first Jayhawk to do so, as he scored 305 points in 27 games to reach 1,082 total points over his four years. This drop in form unfortunately coincided with the period of time Phog Allen had to sit out for half of the season, recovering from the flu. Despite this, Black earned his fourth and final All-American honor, becoming the only player to do so at the time. Since
Black led the Jayhawks to their fourthconsecutive Big Six title with a record of 22-6. In a year when Kansas looked destined for an NCAA title, Kansas’ squad was torn apart, as all of its players were sent off to fight in World War II after its final regular season game.
Photo courtesy of University Archives
then, only one other player has achieved the same feat, with LaSalle’s Tom Gola doing so 10 years later. After his Kansas career, Black headed to the National Basketball League with the Anderson Packers, before heading to the NBA with the Fort Wayne Pistons, Indianapolis Jets and Milwaukee Hawks. He eventually retired from basketball in 1952, before settling down as a farmer in Kansas and then managing a welding supply company in Arkansas. Black saw his jersey retired in 1992, before passing away later that year at the age of 71. Photo courtesy of University Archives
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M A X FA L K E N S T I E N
Broadcaster, 1946–2006 No. 60 AMIE JUST @amie_just
It was March 1, 2006, and Max Falkenstien had no idea what he was walking into. All he knew was that this was his last game, as the longtime radio announcer was hanging up his hat after 60 years. As Falkenstien made his way to his seat, the student section held up a page of
The University Daily Kansan. That page had the words “Thanks, Max” and two pictures: one of him in 1946 and one from 2006. That wasn’t going to be the only tribute. “At the halftime, a lot of the former players who were here came out on the floor,” Falkenstien said. “I sort of thought they might do something special, but I didn’t anticipate having my jersey hanging in the Fieldhouse. But it was a wonderful feeling to be recognized up there with all the great athletes who have wore the KU crimson and blue as a singular honor. I don’t know if anyone else will ever put 60 years into KU
like I did, so that makes it very special.” To put a cherry on top of his career, Kansas defeated Colorado that night, 75-54. After retiring in 2006, he wrote a book titled “A Good Place to Stop,” because his goal was to finish 60 years. Though, Falkenstien jokes he should have stuck around for two more years. “[I thought] 60 years would be a good place to put it to bed and it turned out that it was a terrible title for my book,” Falkenstien said. “Because two years after I quit, we won the Orange Bowl and the national basketball championship in the same year
and I thought, ‘What the hell. I should have stayed two more years, then it really would have been a good place to stop.’” Falkenstien had been there for it all, though. His father, Earl, worked for Kansas Athletics as the business manager when Falkenstien was a kid, so naturally, he worked close with Phog Allen. But Falkenstien doesn’t call him Phog. He calls him Doc. “I knew Doc very well as I was growing up,” Falkenstien said. “We were close when I became a broadcaster working with him until he retired. I had a very close relationship with him.” Falkenstien started his
radio broadcasting career in 1946. The first game he ever called was Kansas versus Oklahoma A&M (now Oklahoma State) in the NCAA tournament that year. Kansas lost, 49-38. His broadcasting career spanned the last 10 years of Allen’s career, eight seasons with Dick Harp, 19 seasons with Ted Owens, five seasons with Larry Brown, 15 seasons with Roy Williams and the first three seasons of Bill Self’s career. He saw Kansas win two national championships and 24 conference titles, and play in 11 Final Fours and 33 NCAA tournaments. Although Falkenstien retired in 2006, he still comes
to all the home games he can. He estimates he’s been to more than 2,000 basketball games in nearly 93 years of life. “There have been a lot of spectacular finishes and some heartbreaks too,” Falkenstien said. “Far more great wins than tough losses. Coaches are interesting though, they always pretty much agree in one thing. The agony of defeat is much greater than the joy of victory. They think about the ones that got away more than the ones that you won.”
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ANGEL A AY C O C K Guard, 1992-1995 No. 12 JARED ANDERSON @JAnderson_383
In 1991, the Kansas women’s basketball team brought in a player who would drive the program to heights it had failed to reach since the days Lynette Woodard ruled the hardwood. Angela Aycock, an All-American and one of just three women’s basketball players to have her jersey raised to the rafters, is the woman who would end up changing the direction of Kansas basketball, during her reign at the University. Although Aycock is one of the greatest women’s basketball players Kansas has ever produced, in her post basketball career, she has made a personal decision to become a nun in the Russian Orthodox Church. As part of her new monastic life, she has taken a vow of humility and has gone into seclusion. Aycock is now known as Sister Paula. In each of her four seasons at Kansas, Aycock averaged over 10 points and five rebounds per game.
During her sophomore year, Aycock averaged 16.3 points and 6.9 rebounds per game, while being selected as the Most Valuable Player in Photo courtesy of Kansas Athletics the 1993 Big Eight Conferand 7.3 rebounds in 1994ence Tournament. 95 and as a result, received In her junior season, a surplus of rightful recogAycock averaged 16.9 nition. points and 8.7 rebounds en Aycock went onto be route to being named the named a 1995 Associat1993-94 co-Big Eight Player ed Press Second Team of the Year. All-American and a 1995
Aycock averaged 16.3 points and 6.9 rebounds per game, while being selected as the Most Valuable Player in the 1993 Big Eight Conference Tournament.
However, like most players, Aycock reached the peak of her collegiate basketball career during her senior season. The 6-foot-2 guard averaged 23.1 points
USBWA All-American, in a season that embodied her greatness. As her college days came to an end, Aycock posted staggering numbers. Her career statistics include 1,978 points (No. 3 alltime), 309 steals (No. 2 all-time) and 743 field goals made (No. 3 all-time). She was also able to grab three All-Big Eight selections in the process. Following her graduation from Kansas, Aycock furthered her basketball career overseas and also had a short stint with the Phoenix Mercury and Seattle Storm in the WNBA, where she played three seasons. The last time Aycock made a public appearance, was in 2003, when her jersey was raised inside Allen Fieldhouse. Though she remained
Photo courtesy of Kansas Athletics
silent in the stands during her ceremony, a statement was issued by the school after the event. “God willing,” Aycock said. “Many more young women will be inspired and challenge
themselves as well as others not to limit themselves, but strive for excellence in all things.” Despite her new life ventures, Aycock will continue to serve as an irrefutable
influence to incoming players, determined to cement their names alongside the Kansas legend. — Edited by Erin Brock
TA M E C K A Guard, 1994-1997 D I X O N No. 33 JARED ANDERSON @JAnderson_383
Of the 32 retired jerseys in Allen Fieldhouse, only three numbers were worn by members of the women’s basketball team. One of those exclusive and influential female athletes is Tamecka Dixon, a woman who not only helped propel Kansas to a surplus of success during her playing days, but is also a universal trailblazer for women with professional basketball aspirations. After Kansas retired her jersey in 2003, Dixon reflected on the feat. “It just goes to show that I’ve dedicated four years of my life to this university and to these people,” Dixon said when her jersey was retired. “It’s great to come back and feel the vibe of Kansas basketball again.” Although her basketball resume is impressive in its entirety, it’s important to first note her collegiate basketball career at Kansas. As a freshman, Dixon came off the bench and averaged just 6.8 points per game. However, as her college career progressed,
her performance promptly improved. In Dixon’s sophomore year, she averaged 11.6 points and four rebounds per game, a noticeable increase of production from her previous season. Dixon continued to display sizable improvement in her junior year, as she averaged 17 points, four rebounds and three assists. In that same season, Kansas went on to win the Big Eight championship, with Dixon being named the 1996 Big Eight Player of the Year. As if that wasn’t enough, Dixon also ended up leading Kansas to the Sweet Sixteen, where it would fall to the 1996 National Champion, Tennessee. Nevertheless, it was Dixon’s senior year at Kansas that defined her lasting legacy at the university. She would go onto average 20.6 points and 5.6 rebounds per game. A slew of awards would follow her standout season, including being named the 1997 Big 12 Player of the Year, a 1997 USBWA and Kodak All-American, a member of the 1997 Associated Press All-American second team and a member of the 1997 Big 12 All-Tournament Team. Her 1,689 career points ranks her as Kansas’ eighth all-time leading scorer. Dixon’s college play from 1994-97 didn’t just capture awards, but also
the opportunity to extend her basketball career as a professional. With the WNBA forming in 1997, Dixon’s graduation from Kansas took place at an opportune moment. In the first-ever WNBA draft, Dixon was selected by the Los Angeles Sparks with the No. 14 overall pick. Her impact was immediate, as she averaged 11.9 points, three rebounds and two assists per game in her rookie campaign.
“It just goes to show that I’ve dedicated four years of my life to this university and to these people.”
– Tamecka Dixon Dixon’s second season in the WNBA was arguably her best individual showing, posting 16.2 points and just over two rebounds and assists per game. Dixon went onto be named a three-time consecutive All-Star in 2001, 2002 and 2003, while also being a substantial contributor to Los Angeles’ back-to-back WNBA championships in 2001 and 2002. As her playing days came
Photo courtesy of Kansas Athletics
to an end, Dixon concluded her professional career with 3,500 points, 961 assists and 1,032 rebounds. At Kansas’ 2016 Late Night, Dixon made a surprise appearance on the floor where she had once accomplished so much, years ago. Even though she now resides in New Jersey as a financial advisor, according to the WNBA, Dixon’s passion for the game and her alma mater has never altered. “This is the best place to play in the world,” Dixon said at the event. While her illustrious career may be over, Dixon’s extraordinary contributions and brilliant play, will forever be memorialized inside the cathedral of basketball. — Edited by Frank Weirich
Photo courtesy of University Archives
RETIRED JERSEYS
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KANSAN.COM
Photo courtesy of University Archives
Photo courtesy of University Archives
J A C Q U E VA U G H N
Guard, 1994-1997 No. 11 TIFFANY LITTLER @tlitt33
In 1994, the Kansas basketball team added its 12th McDonald’s All-American since 1977. A 6-foot-1 guard from Pasadena, California, Jacque Vaughn would climb his way up Kansas’ all-time scoring list and alltime assists list. He currently sits 37th on Kansas’ all-time scoring leaders and second on the all-time assists. Vaughn finished his collegiate career with 1,207 points and 804 assists. Vaughn was a secondteam NABC All-American for two straight years (1996, 1997) and was also a Wooden Award AllAmerican those years.
Starting in all but just one game in his four seasons at Kansas (125 out of 126), Vaughn averaged 9.6 points and three rebounds per game. Vaughn also helped lead the Jayhawks to four NCAA Tournaments, playing in three Sweet Sixteens and one Elite Eight appearance. His jersey, No. 11, was officially retired on Dec. 31, 2002 in Allen Fieldhouse. “I never thought it’d be there,” Vaughn said the day of his jersey retirement. “I always appreciated the names up there who came before me and laid a foundation. I always appreciate what history is. It’s amazing I can be a part of that. It’s going to be special when I have kids who come in and say, ‘Daddy, why is your name up there?’ It’s tough to describe what this means to me. The fans here have always been unbelievable. I love them and this university so much.” His playing days
weren’t over after his college eligibility ran out. Midway through the first round of the 1997 NBA Draft, Vaughn’s name was called at No. 27 overall to the Utah Jazz. He joined fellow Kansas teammate Scot Pollard, who went No. 19 overall, in the draft selection that night. Vaughn did not start during his four seasons with the Jazz, but seemed to slowly progress throughout his years with the team. He went from averaging just 2.3 points per game to 6.1 in his final season with the team. Between 2001-2004, Vaughn was traded back and forth between the Atlanta Hawks and the Orlando Magic. He started 48 out of his 80 games played with the Magic and saw minimal starts with the Hawks. Vaughn later spent two seasons with the New Jersey Nets, a franchise currently known as the Brooklyn Nets. In 2006, he was traded to the San
Antonio Spurs. There, after three seasons, he would eventually finish his playing career. In 2007, Vaughn helped bring San Antonio its fourth NBA championship in franchise history. He finished his NBA career with 3,463 total points. During his 12 seasons in the NBA, he made nine playoff appearances. Vaughn accepted
— Edited by Casey Brown
Photo courtesy of University Archives
an assistant coaching opportunity with the Spurs in 2010, leaving in 2012 to become head coach of the Magic. Following a 15-37 start with the Orlando, Vaughn was fired as head coach in early 2015 after just two and a half seasons with the team. Vaughn returned to the Spurs as a pro scout during the 2015-16 season. He is currently an assistant coach with the Brooklyn Nets.
“It’s going to be special when I have kids who come in and say, ‘Daddy, why is your name up there?’ It’s tough to describe what this means to me. The fans here have always been unbelievable. I love them and this university so much.”
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Photo courtesy of Kansas Athletics
NICK COLLISO N Forward, 2000-2003 No. 4 said Williams was a major factor in his upbringing as an NBA player. One remnant of the “I learned how to really Roy Williams teams that play hard and compete, spent the early 2000s develop some really good on top of the nation in habits,” Collison said of college basketball hangs his time under Williams from the rafters at Allen at Kansas. “I think a lot Fieldhouse. of stuff I learned there, it Nick Collison’s No. really has helped me have 4 jersey commemorates a long career in the NBA. I the contributions over was very fortunate to play four seasons with the for [Williams] and had a Jayhawks. In those four really good experience.” seasons, Collison Drafted 12th and fellow Iowa overall by the native Kirk Hinrich Seattle Supersonics, starred on some of Collison went on to the greatest teams “I just have memories of contribute starting to ever play in a minutes for the Kansas uniform. what it felt like playing SuperSonics in four T h o u g h seasons. His best Williams’ Kansas there,” Collison said. season statistically teams never won was 2007-08, when a national title, “And those times that you Collison scored his era of Kansas 9.8 points and 3.2 basketball is often go on a run and 10-0 rebounds per game. regarded as one of Collison’s 13-year the best. Collison run or whatever and just NBA career might made it to the be coming to an Final Four in his how loud it was. It’s just end soon. He has junior year and spent all 13 years lost in the national a lot of fun. Really fun, with the Oklahoma championship City Thunder game to Carmelo probably the most fun organization, Anthony and through a move Syracuse in the basketball has ever been from Seattle (as the 2002-03 season, Seattle SuperSonics) his senior year. for me.” to Oklahoma City. Collison said his The Thunder are memories of his currently fighting time at Kansas are for a playoff spot most vivid in the in the Western Fieldhouse, though Conference. In the he couldn’t put a finger on Collison was a starter 2016-17 season, Collison a specific favorite memory for all four of his years backs up Thunder big man in the building. in a Kansas uniform. He Enes Kanter. “I just have memories averaged 18.5 points per “We’re having a good of what it felt like playing game and 10 rebounds year, I’m not sure how there,” Collison said. “And per game in his senior long I’m going to play,” those times that you go year with Kansas. He was Collison said. “Just kind on a run and 10-0 run or one of the most important of do well this year and whatever and just how players for Kansas during be ready to play, if coach loud it was. It’s just a lot of a national championship calls my name. And then fun. Really fun, probably run in the 2002-03 when the seasons over I’ll the most fun basketball season. reevaluate and see what’s has ever been for me.” Another memory from next and see what’s out Collison finished his his four years at Kansas there about next year.” collegiate career as the that Collison pointed out second-highest scorer in was the excitement on — Edited by Sean program history. He was campus when the team Collins named the NABC Player returned for the week after of the Year in the 2002-03 winning the Elite Eight. season, and also won the The 2002-03 season Big 12 Player of the Year was the last season at award. Kansas for coach Roy At halftime of a game Williams before he left for against Michigan State on North Carolina. Collison SKYLAR ROLSTAD @SkyRolSports
Nov. 25, 2003, Collison’s four years at Kansas were honored in the rafters alongside some of the greatest players in the sport. “It was a surreal feeling,” Collison said. “I’d always seen jerseys up there every day at practice and every game but it was really a cool day for me, to see mine go up in such a historic place like Allen Fieldhouse.”
Photo courtesy of Kansas Athletics
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Photo courtesy of University Archives
R AY E VA N S
Guard, 1942-1943 & 1946-1947 No. 15 AMIE JUST @Amie_Just
Earning AllAmerican honors in one sport is tough enough, but two sports? There’s only one Jayhawk to have accomplished that rare feat — Ray Evans. He was named as a firstteam All-American twice in basketball in 1942 and 1943 in addition to being tabbed to the All-Big Six teams those seasons. He earned All-American honors in 1947
for his efforts on the football field as well. He also ran track and played baseball for one season in 1942. “I always thought there were two categories of athletes at the University of Kansas — one category was for him and one was for everybody else,” former Kansas football coach Don Fambrough, an ex-teammate of Evans, told the Lawrence Journal-World following Evans’ death in 1999. Evans suited up on the football field from 1941-42 and from 1946-47 and played basketball from 1942-43 and from 1946-47. Evans was drafted twice in 1944. He was drafted by the NFL’s Chicago Bears and the United States Armed Forces. Evans served as a
lieutenant in the Army Air Corps during World War II. He was discharged midway through the 1945-46 season and played in the last five games. Kansas won the Big Six that season for its first conference championship since before the war. He averaged 8.3 points in that shortened season, as Kansas lost to eventual NCAA Tournament champion Oklahoma A&M — now Oklahoma State — in the district playoff. In his senior season, Evans averaged 5.7 points per game. The Jayhawks placed third in the conference, and finished 16-11 with Howard Engleman serving as head coach in place of an influenzastricken Phog Allen. After the season, Evans was drafted by the New York Knicks in the 1947 BAA Draft.
Following the 1946 basketball season, Evans returned to the football field for the first time since the 1942 season. Evans earned AllAmerican honors in football in 1947, after Kansas lost to Georgia Tech in the school’s first bowl game — the Orange Bowl. He and fellow Jayhawk Otto Schnellbacher were the first First-Team AP AllAmericans in Kansas football history. Evans picked up AllBig Six accolades in 1942 and 47 as well. Evans was a jack of all trades on both sides of the field. The College Football Hall of Fame called him “one of the last of the great twoway players.” 1942 was a solid season for Evans. His 1,117 yards passing in 1942 led the country. His 10 grabbed interceptions that year led the NCAA as well. Even more than 70 years later, Evans is still the only player in NCAA history that had the most yards passing and the most picked off passes in the
country in the same season. He led Kansas in yards receiving in 1941 with 235 yards on 18 receptions. In 1942 and 46, Evans led the Jayhawks in yards rushing (293 yards and 459 yards respectively). He also led Kansas in passing in 1942, 46 and 47, totaling 2,368 yards passing for his career. He remains on the alltime charts as well, sitting at 15th in career passing yards, 11th in total offense (3,799 yards) and ninth in allpurpose yards. His 17 career defensive interceptions is still a Kansas program record as well. After his college career, Evans played one season in the NFL for the Pittsburgh Steelers, played for the BAA’s New York Knicks and received an invitation to play with the MLB’s New York Yankees (though he didn’t accept the offer). Because of his standout efforts on the hardwood and the gridiron, his No. 15 jersey is retired in Allen Fieldhouse and his No. 42 is retired in
R A E F L A F R E N T Z Forward, 1995-1998 No. 45 TIFFANY LITTLER @tlitt33
No. 45 was officially hung in the rafters in 2003.
Photo courtesy of University Archives
Raef LaFrentz made his return to Allen Fieldhouse for the occasion, his last time visiting Allen Fieldhouse, according to his father Ron LaFrentz in a 2009 interview with the Lawrence Journal-World. The 6-foot-11 center/ forward shot his way to third place on Kansas’s 1,000-Point Scorers list, with 2,066, and is ultimately Kansas’ No. 2 alltime leading scorer. He is
also just one of four players in Kansas basketball history to rank in the top-12 in both points and rebounds. He recorded 1,186 rebounds. LaFrentz left Kansas with a handful of awards: two first-team Kansas NABC All-American awards, as well as two Wooden Award All-Americans. He was also named Academic AllAmerican of the Year in 1997, and was even a twotime GTE Academic AllAmerican. Two Jayhawks were drafted in the 1998 NBA Draft: LaFrentz and teammate Paul Pierce. LaFrentz was drafted to the Denver Nuggets as the third overall pick. He started all but five of the 171 games in
his first three seasons with the team. Between 2001-03, LaFrentz bounced back and forth between the Dallas Mavericks and the Nuggets. In 2003, he was traded to the Boston Celtics where he spent his next three seasons. With sports comes the possibility of injuries and LaFrentz has had his fair share of them. As a Celtic in 2003, he had a seasonending surgery to correct an ongoing case of tendinitis. In the season before, LaFrentz had missed 13 games due to an ankle injury. A surgery on his right shoulder in 2008 would eventually become the
Memorial Stadium, as his name is enshrined on the Ring of Honor. He’s only the third Kansas football player to have his number retired, along with John Hadl and Gale Sayers. Those three, along with Jim Bausch, are the only four Jayhawks inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. Evans was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1964. Evans’ basketball jersey was retired on Feb. 22, 1997. “I always look to the right and see the ‘Beware of the Phog’ banner,” Evans said during the retirement ceremony. “Now I’ll have to look to the left, also.” He died two years later. “As an athlete, he was a super athlete. As a teammate you couldn’t ask for anything better. He gave his all at all times — 100 percent,” Schnellbacher said following Evans’ death. “He was inclusive in his acceptance of all his ballplayers.”
— Edited by Frank Weirich
deciding factor for him to end his basketball career. He missed the entire 200809 season with the Portland Trailblazers. His career at Kansas and in the NBA earned his way into the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame, and he was inducted in 2011. The commonly used phrase, “Once a Jayhawk, Always a Jayhawk” seems to ring true to LaFrentz. “He loves that place,” Ron LaFrentz said in the Journal-World interview, noting Raef has Kansas City Chiefs season tickets. “There’s no other place in the NCAA where the atmosphere is such as in Allen Fieldhouse.” — Edited by Erin Brock
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Photo courtesy of Kansas Athletics
WAY N E S I M I E N
Forward, 2002-2005 No. 23 WESLEY DOTSON @WesDotsonUDK
In 1994, the Kansas basketball team added its 12th McDonald’s All-American since 1977. Former forward Wayne Simien was one of the most successful players for the Kansas basketball program in the early 2000s. Under former Kansas coach Roy Williams, Simien was a part of the 2001-02 Kansas team that made it to the Final Four. It was a freshman campaign where he averaged 8.1 points and 5.3 rebounds. Simien, an ESPN top20 power forward recruit from Leavenworth, saw an increase in minutes his sophomore season and began to flourish. He averaged 14.8 points, 8.2 rebounds and shot 64 percent from the field. Kansas finished 30-8 overall and 14-2 in the Big 12, but the team lost to Syracuse, 81-78, in the NCAA tournament’s championship game. In the 2003-04 season, the Jayhawks saw a change
in coaching when current coach Bill Self took over. Simien’s best seasons came under Self. But several Jayhawks, Simien included, weren’t ready for change. “Of course, I didn’t know him,” Simien said of Self to Athlon Sports. “Coming off a tremendous amount of success with coach Williams, back-toback Big 12 championships, back-to-back Final Fours, it’s one of those things were if it isn’t broke, why fix it. Why do we have [to] do things different? It was pretty jarring at first. Quickly we came to realize that he’s great coach and that he does care about his players. It was an honor to play for two Hall of Fame coaches and usher in a new generation of KU basketball which is still being played at a high level.” As a junior, he averaged 17.8 points, 9.3 rebounds and improved his free throw percentage from 67 percent the previous season to 81 percent in 2003-04. Kansas finished 24-9 overall and 12-4 in the Big 12 before being ousted by Georgia Tech, 79-71, in the Elite Eight. Simien’s best campaign as a Jayhawk came in his senior season, when he averaged career highs in
points (20.3) and rebounds (11.0). He was named the Big 12 Player of the Year and a first team AllAmerican, but Kansas was bounced out of the first round of the NCAA tournament as a No. 3 seed by No. 14 Bucknell. Simien currently ranks 15th all-time in points (1,593) in Kansas basketball history. Kansas retired his jersey on Jan. 29, 2011. “When I discovered my jersey was going to be retired I was overwhelmed with thankfulness,” Simien said. “Coaches, teammates, family and fans all played a part in helping me to experience an honor of that magnitude.” After graduating, Simien was drafted No. 29 overall by the Miami Heat in the 2005 NBA Draft. He was a part of the NBA Finals championship Heat team in 2006, and averaged 3.3 points and 1.9 rebounds in two NBA seasons. Simien has once again made Lawrence his home, and he is currently serving as a campus director for Called to Greatness, a campus ministry at the University. “I attribute the biggest impact on my success at KU to my relationship with Jesus Christ,” Simien said.
Photo courtesy of Kansas Athletics
“After reaching a place of having everything that should make you happy as a student athlete, I was desperately looking for something greater to live for than myself and
basketball. Through a campus ministry I was introduced to the life, teachings and purposes of Jesus which transformed every part of my life.” Simien was inducted
into the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame in 2012.
— Edited by Omar Sanchez
Brandon Rush addresses the crowd at Allen Fieldhouse during his jersey retirement ceremony on Feb. 22.
BR ANDON RUSH Guard, 2005-2008 No. 25 SKYLAR ROLSTAD @SkyRolSports
Bob
Davis
left
the Jayhawk Radio after
Network last
mic
season,
but he returned to Allen Fieldhouse on Wednesday to honor another new Kansas Jayhawks great.
Before introducing Brandon Rush, a ceremonial video played on the video board, incorporating Davis' famous "swish" calls along with a few of Rush's best shots. "One of the greatest defenders in KU history!" Davis boomed to the Allen Fieldhouse crowd after taking the audience through the story of Rush's stonewall defense on Stephen Curry in the 2008 NCAA Elite Eight in a way only a 32-year radio veteran could. Curry passed the ball off to a teammate on the final play of the game, then the miss that ensued bought
the Jayhawks a spot in the 2008 Final Four. It was one of many moments that defines Kansas basketball, and one of many reasons Rush addressed Kansas fans Wednesday night. "This is the biggest day of my life," Rush said in his speech on James Naismith Court. Rush's No. 25 went into the rafters on Feb. 22, as the curtain unveiled his No. 25, to the right of the Mario Chalmers' No. 15. It will stay there among Kansas basketball's most venerable athletes for the rest of Kansas basketball history. Rush's No. 25 hangs on the opposite end of the
Fieldhouse of the team's 2008 national title banner. Rush helped win that title, and joins 2008 teammate Mario Chalmers as players with retired jerseys from that championship team. Rush also joins Danny Manning and B.H. Born as players with the No. 25 jersey retired. "That's just a big deal, for me and my family," Rush told the Kansan in a phone interview. "To have my name retired in the rafters at a very prestigious school and just to have my jersey retired there is a real big thing for me." In only three years at Kansas, Rush reached 23rd in all-time scoring for Kansas with 1,477 points. He averaged 13.6 points over three years, having averaged over 13 points each year, and averaged 5.5 rebounds.
On Wednesday night, Kansas defeated TCU, 87-68, locking up at least a share of the program's 13th Big 12 title in a row. The Jayhawks maintained similar dominance even in Rush's playing days. The team won the fourth in that streak in Rush's junior year, before he left for the NBA. Each year a new Kansas basketball season starts, and Kansas coach Bill Self is never shy about comparing the new squad to the one that won it all in 2008. 'When we won it in '08' or 'That '08 team' are familiar refrains for Self in news conferences. For fans, too, it makes sense that a perennially top-ranked team should be measured to the squad that achieved what Kansas takes the floor every season intending to
accomplish. "It means all the hard work, all the wins, all the rough practices have paid off for us," Rush said. "It's very exciting to see everybody comparing the team to what we were in '08." Rush thanked a number of people in his life when speaking about his accomplishment. When he mentioned Self, he quipped about the treadmill Self used to teach him to become a better basketball player. Self forced Rush to run on a treadmill at practice, Rush said. Rush called the treadmill his fondest memory of Self. "I just remember the times when he told me to be aggressive and if I wasn't aggressive he put me on the treadmill," Rush said. "I used to run on the
Missy Minear/KANSAN
treadmill a lot... I used to be on the treadmill because I wasn't being aggressive, not taking the shots. That's one of the memories that stand out about oach Self." On Wednesday, Rush finally heard fans cheer his name in Allen Fieldhouse for the first time in nine years. One of his best memories of the Fieldhouse, Rush said, was the ovation when he returned from an ACL injury in November 2007. "When I got back from my ACL injury, the crowd made — the ovation I got when I came back in the game and all the fans showing their love and everybody showing their love for me," Rush said. "That's a pretty good moment for me." It was an ACL injury that thwarted his NBA hopes, as Rush declared for the NBA Draft after the 2006-07 season, his sophomore season at Kansas. Instead, Rush
stayed one more season to win the national title and then went 13th overall in the 2008 NBA Draft. Rush returned for his junior season to play 38 games and average 13.3 points and 5.1 rebounds. From college to a professional career that now finds him with the Minnesota Timberwolves, Rush said the thing he learned most from his college days is the value of relationship building. "You never know who you're going to come across in the world, so I have to just build relationships with guys, with fans, with alumni," Rush said. "Just things like that, I've learned that building relationships with people helps out in the world." Since launching from the Jayhawks' success in 2008, Rush still hasn't found himself far from greatness. He met up with the standout Davidson guard from 2008, Stephen
Curry, who improved to astronomical levels since with the Golden State
all-time best single-season record in the NBA. Rush signed with
Cole Aldrich and former Kansas one-and-done Andrew Wiggins. He
“Some days I look back, like, man, I won a national championship, I won an NBA championship, broke the record. I mean, to experience all those feats is very important to me and it goes to show how God has worked for me.”
players he's ever played with. The occasion on Wednesday offered Rush another chance to look back on everything he accomplished in his career. "Some days I look back, like, man, I won a national championship, I won an NBA championship, broke the record," Rush said. "I mean, to experience all those feats is very important to me and it goes to show how God has worked for me." Rush said he wasn't sure when he'd return to Allen Fieldhouse for a game, but with his jersey number in the rafters, fans will now recognize his contributions to the program forever.
–BRANDON RUSH Warriors. Rush played off the bench on the Warriors' team that went 73-9, topping the Chicago Bulls'
his current team, the Timberwolves, in July 2016. He teams up with former 2008 teammate
— Edited by Allison Crist
also lines up with KarlAnthony Towns, a 21-yearold who Rush pointed out as already one of the best
PRIDE.
TRUE. JAYHAWK.
#PostSeason
ONLY AT
The ONLY Store Giving Back to KU. @KUBookstore
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RETIRED JERSEYS
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Photos courtesy of University Archives
SEAN COLLINS @seanzie_3
The G.O.A.T. — The Greatest of All-Time. The saying is thrown around quite often in sports whether the player being discussed deserved it or not. If there was ever a player in Kansas basketball history that deserved the almighty title of the best to ever do it, Lynette Woodard earned it in her four years at Kansas from 1978-1981. In each of those four years Woodard was an All-American, a feat that very few achieve. As the first woman to have her jersey retired at Kansas and the first woman to be inducted into the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame, Woodard accumulated many accolades in her time at Kansas. The obvious players that come to mind when it comes to the best players to put on crimson and blue are the likes of Wilt Chamberlain and Danny Manning. At 26.2 points per game during her time at Kansas, only Chamberlain averaged more points per game in his career. It goes Wilt, then Woodard. The 6-foot point guard finished her time at Kansas with the most points in the history of women’s college basketball, nearly eclipsing 3,700 points.
Although her jersey hangs in the banners of Allen Fieldhouse currently and her stats remain impressive, part of what makes Woodard an all-time great is the way she has changed and affected the game off the court. Her relentless mentality and ability to push doubters to the side helped her revolutionize women’s basketball. Woodard was the first woman to play for the Harlem Globetrotters, a feat that was discussed and analyzed heavily at the time. However, her ball handling ability helped her fit the Globetrotter title. Woodard told People.com that when she first began playing for the Globetrotters she was worried about how she would perform against men. She was also a fan of track: not just the sport, but also the metaphors. “I love the quarter mile because it says so much about life,” Woodard told People.com. “Everybody’s got what it takes until they come around the curve. Then there’s nothing left. Whoever’s going to win has to do it on guts.” For the majority of her career there was no such thing as professional women’s basketball. The Allen Fieldhouse floor and the Globetrotters were as close as she got. Finally, after her career was almost over, she was able to play in the WNBA. Woodard’s retired number remains as one of only three women’s basketball jerseys to be retired at Kansas.
LY N E T T E WO O DARD Guard, 1978-1981 No. 31
presents
A classic musical that takes an honest look at adult relationships.
— Edited by Frank Weirich
“I love the quarter mile because it says so much about life. Everybody’s got what it takes until they come around the curve. Then there’s nothing left. Whoever’s going to win has to do it on guts.” –LYNETTE WOODARD
Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim Book by George Furth Originally Produced and Directed on Broadway by Harold Prince Orchestrations by Jonathan Tunick
March 3, 4, 5*, 10, 11, 12*, 2017 7:30 p.m., *2:30 p.m.
Crafton-Preyer Theatre Murphy Hall, 1530 Naismith Dr.
Reserved seat tickets are on sale at the University Theatre Box Office, 785-864-3982, Lied Center Box Office, 785-864-ARTS; and online. Tickets are $22 for adults, $21 for senior citizens and KU faculty and staff, and $10 for children. KU Student tickets are $10 in advance, $15 at the door.
Company is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI. www.MTIShows.com The University Theatre is partially funded by the KU Student Senate Activity Fee. The University Theatre’s 2016-17 season is sponsored by Truity Credit Union.
www.KUTheatre.com
DARN ELL VA L E N T I N E WESLEY DOTSON @WesDotsonUDK
Former guard Dar-
nell Valentine was
one of the most-
prolific scorers in
Kansas basketball
history.
He currently ranks sixth all-time in points (1,821) after his four years with the
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RETIRED JERSEYS
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program, from 1977-81. Because of his efforts, Valentine earned All-American honors in 1981, as well as a first-team All-Big Eight player in each of his four seasons. He averaged 15.4 points and 3.6 rebounds in his career at Kansas under former coach Ted Owens, including a career-high 16.5 points per game his junior season. Despite consistently scoring at a high level, Valentine was known for excellence on defense. He is Kansas’ all-time leader in steals, with 336.
Photo courtesy of University Archives
Guard, 1978-1981 No. 14 Valentine’s jersey was retired by Kansas on Jan. 1, 2005. “Darnell was very good offensively,” Owens said when Valentine’s jersey was retired, according to the Lawrence Journal-World. “But the thing that set him apart ... the whole defense started with him. When the opponent’s point guard had trouble penetrating, when teams had trouble running the offense, it was because of Darnell.” The 6-foot-1 guard, who graduated from Wichita Heights High School in
Wichita, led the Jayhawks to a 24-5 overall record in his freshman year, but the team lost to UCLA, 83-76, in the first round. In his senior year, Valentine led Kansas to a 24-8 overall record, but the Jayhawks were defeated by Wichita State, 66-65, in the Sweet Sixteen. At the time, Valentine said it was an honor to find out his jersey was being retired. “It’s a culmination of 24 years of everything coming together,” Valentine said, according to the Lawrence
Journal-World. “It has to be. In terms of what the University has done for me in my life, preparing me for things I’m doing now ... I wouldn’t rank it with my marriage or daughter and family, but it’s right up there.” After graduating from Kansas, Valentine was drafted No. 16 overall by the Portland Trail Blazers in the 1981 NBA draft. He averaged 8.7 points, 5.0 assists and 2.1 rebounds in nine NBA seasons with the Trail Blazers, Los Angeles Clippers and Cleveland
Cavaliers. He briefly served as the Trail Blazers’ Director of Player Programs in 2004, after retiring from playing in 1991. Since 2007, he has worked as a vice president at Precision Castparts, a Fortune 500 manufacturing company in Portland. He works on employee development. — Edited by Erin Brock
BILL BRIDGES Forward/Center, 1959-1961 No. 32
Photo courtesy of University Archives
JACK NADEAU @jacknadeauku
Bill Bridges may
not be one of the
marquee names of
the historic Kansas
basketball program,
but he left his mark
in more ways than
most people may realize. A native of Hobbs, New Mexico, Bridges entered the program as a walk-on following the departure of legend Wilt Chamberlain. Although he may not be a household name like Chamberlain, his numbers suggest he is one of Kansas’ elites. Bridges only played three seasons due to freshmen eligibility rules in place at the time, but during that
span he accumulated a whopping 1,081 rebounds, good for fourth-best in program history. In his first year with the team, Bridges led Kansas in rebounding and was second in scoring. Bridges received All-Big Eight Conference honors in three consecutive seasons. He was the captain his senior season, when he averaged 16.1 points per game and 14.1 rebounds per game, and was recognized as a first team All-American.
One of Bridges’ greatest accomplishments is being the very first Jayhawk to reach 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds in his career, despite only playing in 78 career games. Only three other players (Danny Manning, Raef LaFrentz and Nick Collison) have reached such a milestone. Bridges’ collegiate career rebounding average of 13.9 ranks second in program history, behind Chamberlain. Following his college career, Bridges started in the American Basketball League, playing for the Kansas City Steers. During his tenure in the ABL, he led the league in rebounding and was named All-ABL before the league folded. He was then selected by the St. Louis Hawks in the third round of the NBA draft. Standing only 6-foot-6, Bridges was a tremendous athlete and rebounder who went on to have a successful NBA career. After starting with the Hawks, Bridges also played for the Philadelphia 76ers, the Los Angeles Lakers and
finished with the Golden State Warriors, winning an NBA title with them in 1975. During his NBA career, Bridges was recognized as an All-Star three times (1967, 1968 and 1970) and All-Defensive Second Team twice (1969 and 1970). He averaged a double-double in nine straight seasons from 1964 to 1973. Bridges would finish his career with 11,012 points and 11,054 rebounds. His double-double average in college (16.1 points per game and 14.1 rebounds per game) and as a pro (11.9 points per
game and 11.9 rebounds per game) are a testament to the consistency Bridges brought to the court. In recognition of the rebounding talent Bridges possessed during his career, the Bill Bridges Rebounding Award is presented annually to the leading rebounder for Kansas. Bridges’ No. 32 was raised to the rafters on Dec. 9, 2004. He was inducted into the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame in 2016. — Edited by Erin Brock
One of Bridges’ greatest accomplishments is being the very first Jayhawk to reach 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds in his career, despite only playing in 78 career games.
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Photo courtesy of University Archives
PA U L P I E R C E BRIAN MINI
@brianminimum
Back in 1994, before he was climbing the all-time scoring list or being named a NBA Finals MVP, Paul Pierce was a Kansas recruit and a crucial piece to Kansas’ recruiting puzzle. Literally. “When we recruited Paul Pierce at Kansas, we had four starters coming back, but we had no small forward,” former coach Roy Williams said in his biography, “Hard Work: A Life on and Off the Court.” “I asked my assistant
Steve Robinson to make a little puzzle…we sent Paul the four corner pieces and then two days later, we sent the centerpiece in the shape of a star with Paul’s picture on it and a message that read, ‘You are the missing piece to the puzzle.’” Pierce was Kansas’ prized recruiting win and as a freshman averaged 11.9 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game. Despite his cemented status in Kansas history, if it wasn’t for another recruit choosing Duke over Kansas, Pierce would have never came to Lawrence. Talent scout Bob Gibbons told the Lawrence Journal-World in 1995 that if it wasn’t for the Duke commitment of Ricky Price, Kansas would have never landed the future Hall of Famer. “Last year, Kansas was sorely disappointed when Ricky Price chose Duke,” Gibbons said. “Pierce appears to be a tougher, better all-around player than Price, so things worked to KU’s ad-
Photo courtesy of University Archives
Forward, 1996-1998 No. 34
vantage…” Pierce’s sophomore season was the first year of the fully formed Big 12 conference and also one of the best Kansas years in recent history. Pierce helped lead Kansas to a 34-1 regular season record before falling to Arizona in the Sweet Sixteen. Pierce wrote about the Arizona game in a recent Players Tribune column. “The tournament is unforgiving,” Pierce said. “If you have one bad game, that’s it. Throughout my career I’ve had many losses, but all these years later, this is one that still stings.” His commitment to the Jayhawks was evident when he returned for his junior year. Despite a disappointing loss to Rhode Island in the second round of the tournament, Pierce was named a first team All-American after averaging 20.4 points and 6.7 rebounds per game. At the conclusion of his Kansas career, Pierce amassed 1,768 points and
676 rebounds, good for ninth and 18th all-time. One of Kansas’ 28 All-Americans, Pierce entered the NBA Draft and was drafted No. 10 overall by the Boston Celtics. “It’s always been my dream to play in the NBA and hopefully this is a good opportunity for me,” Pierce said at his announcement. “I feel like it’s my time. I feel like I’m more than ready.” In 2011, Pierce returned for the Legends of the Phog alumni game, and scored a three-pointer with five seconds remaining. His No. 34 jersey was retired on Jan. 25, 2003. “No place compares to Allen Fieldhouse and the rich tradition that is Kansas basketball,” Pierce said in 2011. “When you are a Jayhawk, you’re a Jayhawk for life.”
“No place compares to Allen Fieldhouse and the rich tradition that is Kansas basketball,” Pierce said in 2011. “When you are a Jayhawk, you’re a Jayhawk for life.”
— Edited by Frank Weirich
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KIRK HINRICH BRENDAN DZWIERZYNSKI @BrendanDzw
Twenty-one minutes, 15 points and eight assists while playing on a sprained ankle in the NCAA tournament. There may be no better moment that encapsulates Kirk Hinrich’s Kansas career than that one. When retired Jayhawks radio announcer Max Falkenstien recounted that story at Hinrich’s jersey retirement ceremony on March 1, 2009, it elicited a rousing ovation from the Allen Fieldhouse crowd. Hinrich’s career at Kansas included a plethora of individual awards and team success, from All-Big 12 first-team honors to multiple Final Four appearances. What Hinrich will always be remembered for, however, is being, as Falkenstien called him, a floor general, whose leadership defined
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a historic run for Kansas basketball. Before beginning his Kansas career, Hinrich was already a standout player. A 6-foot-3 point guard from Sioux City, Iowa, he led West High School to its first state title in 65 years on his way to being named CoMr. Basketball Iowa that year. The other winner of the award, Nick Collison of Orange City, Iowa, would link up with Hinrich at Kansas to form one of the most decorated duos in program history. The 1999-2000 Kansas season is far from the most successful in program history, as the team finished with 10 losses and was bounced in the second round of the NCAA tournament. What was significant about that season, however, was the beginning of a remarkably successful run, largely due to three stellar freshmen who debuted for Roy Williams’ squad: Hinrich, Collison and Drew Gooden. These three became the cornerstones for a phenomenal start to the 21st century for Jayhawks hoops.
Guard, 2000–2003 No. 10
Two years later, all three were established stars in the Big 12, with Hinrich serving as the Jayhawks’ on-court leader. A first-team AllBig 12 selection, Hinrich averaged 14.8 points per game, and five assists per
to Carmelo Anthony and Syracuse, 81-78. It was a sour end-note to his Kansas career, but it doesn’t negate his remarkable achievements, nor the enjoyment he provided the fans in Lawrence that
“Hinrich possessed a powerful, behind-thescenes presence of accountability and quietly helped teammates in a well-received manner.” K.C. JOHNSON game en route to Kansas’ first Final Four appearance since the 1992-93 season. One year later, Hinrich reached a career-high scoring average, with 17.3 points per game. With another first-team All-Big 12 selection to his name, he led the Jayhawks to a No. 2 seed in the 2003 NCAA tournament. The Jayhawks fought their way to the Final Four for a second year in a row, the first time they had achieved that since the 1952 and 1953 tournaments. Despite a 16-point showing from Hinrich in the title game, Kansas lost
still resonates in Allen Fieldhouse. “There’s no place like it,” Hinrich said about Allen Fieldhouse at his jersey retirement ceremony. “This building, in my mind, is the greatest basketball venue in the world.” In the star-studded 2003 NBA draft, Hinrich was taken seventh overall by the Chicago Bulls, a thrilling development for the sizable Kansas-Chicago dual-fandom contingent. While his career hasn’t transcended the game like fellow draftees Anthony, LeBron James, Dwyane
Photos courtesy of Kansas Athleticss
Wade and others, he carved out a memorable niche with the Bulls. The all-time leader in three-point field goals for Chicago, Hinrich experienced several exciting, if not tumultuous, periods in Bulls history. From the surprisingly prosperous “Baby Bulls” era, through his second stint with the team, which included reasonable success under coach Tom Thibodeau, Hinrich became an effective role player and, just like he was at Kansas, a leader. “Hinrich possessed a powerful, behindthe-scenes presence of accountability and quietly helped teammates in a well-received manner,” said K.C. Johnson, the Bulls beat writer for the Chicago Tribune, in a 2016 column after Hinrich was traded to the Atlanta Hawks. Loyalty is extremely hard to come by in sports. Anyone who questions Hinrich’s team loyalty, however, does so at their own peril. According to a Johnson story from 2014, Hinrich took less money in free agency to stay with
Chicago. “When you’re offered more money, no matter what you say, it’s hard to turn down,” Hinrich said of his 2014 re-signing. “But when you go through the thought process, you just come back to what’s most important.” Currently a free agent, Hinrich has played for three teams over his 13year career, including two stints each with Chicago and Atlanta. Even through a prosperous NBA career, Hinrich is arguably still best remembered for his run with the Jayhawks. Final Four appearances and individual honors aren’t the only ways to define a player’s impact on their team. The same can be said for individual losses, even if they come on the biggest stage of all. Hinrich will always be known as a Big 12 legend, as a member of back-toback Final Four teams, as one of the players that came excruciatingly close to a national title. But above all else, he will be known as one of the greatest leaders in Kansas basketball history.
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JO JO WHITE
Guard, 1966–1969 No. 15 SKYLAR ROLSTAD @SkyRolSports
Jo Jo White retired an NBA legend, but his career started in Allen Fieldhouse with the Kansas Jayhawks. White achieved consensus second-team All-America honors twice with the Jayhawks, but his achievements in the sport go beyond basketball. In a time when basketball remained largely segregated, White excelled with Kansas. However, White wasn’t accepted on the Kansas team until the players voted to accept him. His reputation as one of the greatest of the growing number of black players in the country was immortalized in the 2006 film “Glory Road.” The movie depicted Texas Western’s (now UTEP) 1966 run through the NCAA Basketball Tournament. White hit
a game-winning shot at the end of the Midwest regional final (today’s Elite Eight), but was ruled out of bounds by the referee. “The movie has Jo Jo stepping out by several inches,” Kansas coach Ted Owens said in a recent article. “That’s just wrong. We doubt that he stepped out of bounds at all.” The 1966 Texas Western team was known for being one of the first basketball programs in the South to accept black players. White actually played in five seasons for the Jayhawks. He had an extra semester of eligibility in the 1968-69 season and played the first 18 games of the year under Owens. White scored 18.1 points per game and recorded 4.7 rebounds per game in his senior year with the Jayhawks. White competed with the United States while attending Kansas in the 1968 Olympics. The United States was an underdog in the competition to Russia and Yugoslavia, but came through for the gold medal. “He is probably as complete a player as you would want to run into in a university class,” United States coach Hank Iba was
“He is probably as complete a player as you would want to run into in a university class,” United States coach Hank Iba was quoted as saying in 1968 by ESPN. “His greatest assets are directing plays and an ability to shoot out on the floor. He is a great pro prospect.” quoted as saying in 1968 by ESPN. “His greatest assets are directing plays and an ability to shoot out on the floor. He is a great pro prospect.” In 2015, White was finally named to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. White was widely
Photo courtesy of University Archives
considered one of the biggest Hall of Fame snubs for years before his induction. “I always tried to be the best,” White said during his Hall of Fame induction speech, according to a Kansas Athletics release.
“I had two great mentors at Kansas: Ted Owens and Sam Miranda. I love you. I’ve had so many wonderful teammates and I want to thank them all.” Sam Miranda was a Kansas assistant coach under Owens. Miranda
died in 2009. The Boston Celtics, the team White spent nine seasons of his 12-year NBA career playing for, retired White’s No. 10 in 1982. — Edited by Mara Kubicki
D AV E R O B I S C H
Forward/Center, 1969–1971 No. 40 DEASIA PAIGE
@deasia_paige
Dave Robisch was a superstar since his high school career.
Photo courtesy of University Archives
“As I look back, I think we had a great season,” Robisch said of the 1970-71 season. “Obviously, there is disappointment. I have told a lot of people what sticks in the brain all the time ... The one shot I remember the most was one I made to put us ahead in the second half against UCLA, but they called me for traveling. I just wonder what would have happened if I hadn’t been called for traveling.”
Growing up in Cincinnati, his passion for basketball and his overall determination to win instantly made him fit to be a Jayhawk. Robisch was only a sophomore when he made the varsity basketball team at Woodward High School in Ohio. But it was not until his family moved to Springfield, Illinois, that he garnered attention for his game. Playing for the Springfield High School Senators, Robisch led his team to the state sectional. Robisch continued that success in his next season as a senior when he led his team to third place in the state tournament. Robisch’s skills and 6-foot-10 frame attracted national recognition. It was those same skills that earned Robisch the attention of then-assistant Kansas basketball coach Sam Miranda. It only took Robisch one visit to Kansas to determine that that was the place for him. Although Robisch’s
potential was noticed by many, his exceptional career at Kansas could not have been predicted. “Dave was about the finest competitive shooter I’ve been around,” former Kansas coach Ted Owens told the Lawrence Journal-World in 2005. “He did something I don’t think I’ve seen anybody else master. He could bank in a shot straight out. Down the stretch, if you needed a basket, Dave would find a way to get the ball in there.” Robisch was a two-time All-American, three-time All-Big Eight selection and a two-time Big Eight Player of the Year. He was also a member of the 1971 Final Four team. “As I look back, I think we had a great season,” Robisch said of the 197071 season. “Obviously, there is disappointment. I have told a lot of people what sticks in the brain all the time ... The one shot I remember the most was one I made to put us ahead in the second half against UCLA, but they called me for traveling. I just wonder what would have happened if I hadn’t been called for traveling.” Averaging 26.5 points per game during the 196970 season, Robisch has the fourth-highest scoring average in school history, ranking behind legends Wilt Chamberlain and
Clyde Lovellette. When he was inducted into the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame in 2008, he was the second leading scorer (behind Clyde Lovellette) and he was among the list of top 10 scorers in Kansas history. His jersey was retired in 2005. “It’s the culmination of the hard work I put in,” Robisch said when his jersey was retired. “The great respect I have for the university and the basketball program ... what a great ride, what a great moment with family, teammates and coaches here.” After his time at Kansas, Robisch was drafted by the Denver Rockets of the American Basketball Association in 1971. He went on to play for the Indiana Pacers, Baltimore Claws, and the San Diego Conquistadors. Robisch played seven seasons in the NBA, playing for teams like the Cleveland Cavaliers, Los Angeles Lakers, San Antonio Spurs and the Kansas City Kings. Although his professional career is not as stellar than his college career, Robisch scored 10,581 points and posted 6,173 rebounds in his 13 seasons as a professional basketball player.
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KANSAN.COM
Photo courtesy of University Archives
C LY D E L O V E L L E T T E Center, 1950-1952 No. 16 MITCH GEORGE @MitchLGeorge
No Kansas basketball player will wear the number 16 ever again — it’s against NCAA rules. A banner with this number, which was famously adorned by the legendary Clyde Lovellette, ascended to the rafters of Allen Fieldhouse in 1992. Although his jersey retirement is an astounding feat, Lovellette most notably assisted in raising another banner, one which reads, “National Champions 1952.” If it weren’t for the persistent recruiting of coach Phog Allen, Lovellette would have never been a Jayhawk. He
had already committed to Indiana, so Allen traveled to his hometown of Terre Haute, Indiana, to attempt to convince him otherwise. Lovellette recollected in an interview the moment he saw Allen arrive at his house. “I said, ‘Dad, you just stay here. And when Phog comes, just tell him that I’m not home and try to get rid of him,’” Lovellette said. Allen eventually talked his way inside and began persuading Lovellette to give Kansas a chance. Allen was successful, and Lovellette agreed to visit the campus. The all-state center was convinced, and he enrolled at the University of Kansas. A key point in Allen’s rhetoric was his promise that Lovellette would lead the Jayhawks to a national championship, and that they would follow that victory with an Olympic gold medal in Helsinki.
Allen kept these promises. In the 1951-52 season, Lovellette led the Jayhawks to an overall record of 222, which granted them entrance into the NCAA tournament where they played TCU in the first round. After securing the four-point victory, Kansas advanced to the second round to play St. Louis. Lovellette, a 6-foot9 center, exploded for 44 points and propelled Kansas to the semifinals. In this round, the Jayhawks soundly defeated Santa Clara by 19 points. In the national championship game, Lovellette once again personally willed Kansas to the victory. He scored 33 points while contributing 17 rebounds en route to an 80-63 win over St. John’s and Kansas’s first-ever NCAA Championship. When he left Kansas, he was the Jayhawks’ all-time leading scorer. Currently,
he is ranked fourth. Lovellette proved himself as a truly dominant, multi-faceted player throughout his entire college career, and his accolades were awarded accordingly. Lovellette remains the only player in NCAA history to lead the nation in scoring and win a championship in the same year. He was named Helms Foundation Player of the Year, Most Valuable Player of the 1952 NCAA Final Four and was a three-time All-American. He was inducted into the College Basketball Hall of Fame in 2012. Exactly four months after he led Kansas to the national title, Lovellette led his nation into Helsinki. As an instrumental contributor to his team, he averaged over 13 points per game. The Americans steamrolled their way to an Olympic gold without recording a loss.
As elite as Lovellette was on the collegiate and Olympic hardwood, his talents transcended equally, if not greater, when they were put to the test in the NBA. Following his 1952 national championship campaign and gold medal excursion, Lovellette was drafted No. 9 overall by the Minneapolis Lakers. Lovellette flirted with averaging a career doubledouble, as he averaged 17 points and 9.5 rebounds per game in his 12 seasons. During his tenure, he spent time with the Minneapolis Lakers, Cincinnati Royals, St. Louis Hawks and Boston Celtics. Lovellette was an NBA champion in his rookie season, 1954, with the Lakers. After departing Minneapolis, he ended his career with two championships with the Celtics in 1963 and 1964. At the culmination of his extraordinary career,
Lovellette encapsulated his career-long dominance with his induction into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 1988. In his naturally humble tone, Lovellette addressed the audience at his enshrinement speech. “As a high school player back in Garfield in Terre Haute, I never thought I’d be here. As a college basketball player, I never thought I’d be here. As a pro player, I never thought I’d be here,” Lovellette said. “But I’m finally here, and it’s a great honor.” Lovellette, the only Jayhawk to ever wear No. 16 at Kansas, remains regarded not only as an elite collegiate talent, but as an elite Olympian and professional as well. His dominance at all levels of the game solidify his legacy and adamantly justify his place in the rafters among the rest of the Kansas greats.
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DA N NY MANNING
Forward, 1985–1988 No. 25 AMIE JUST @Amie_Just
Some called it impossible. Others called it inconceivable. Kansas winning the 1988 national championship? Not a chance. During Danny Manning’s senior year, Kansas dropped four games in a row in late January and early February, with two of them — against Kansas State and Oklahoma — at home. Kansas would lose to Duke at home in overtime a few weeks later. Kansas entered the 1988 NCAA Tournament with a 21-11 record. Never before had a team with 11 losses won the national championship. That’s exactly why the “Danny and the Miracles” nickname was born. The Jayhawks winning in 1988? Absolutely improbable, it seemed. But it happened. As the No. 6 seed in the Midwest, Kansas advanced past No. 11 seed Xavier (85-72), No. 14 seed Murray State (61-58), No. 7 seed Vanderbilt (7764) and No. 4 seed Kansas State (71-58) to get to the Final Four. The Jayhawks had to meet up with the Duke Blue Devils in the Final Four. Duke — the team that ousted Kansas from the Final Four in 1986. Duke — the team that came into Allen Fieldhouse a month prior and won in overtime. That Duke. Manning totaled 25 points and 10 rebounds as Kansas upset Duke, 6659. There was one game left: The national championship, against Oklahoma. The Sooners were the No. 1 seed in the Southeast and had toppled over everyone in their path, winning the five preceding games by an average of 17 points. During the regular
season, Oklahoma handily swept the Jayhawks. After a tied 50-50 first half, Kansas squeaked out a narrow 83-79 win for its first national championship since 1952. “This feeling is great to be able to close out my career like this in Kansas City, in front of people that have supported me for four years,” Manning said in 1988. “It’s something that’s well deserved for them, but it wasn’t a gift. Some people said we got lucky, but what’s luck? Luck presents opportunity, and we took that opportunity. This is for all the people who said it couldn’t be done, that we wouldn’t make it ... This is from the national champions. The No. 1 team in the country. How do you like us now?” In the win, Manning scored 31 points and posted 18 rebounds. Milt Newton added 15 points, and Kevin Pritchard contributed 13 points. One of Manning’s most fond memories of his college career came immediately after the National Championship Game. The team was sitting together in the locker room for the final time as a team. “And it hit me,” Manning said. “This is the last time we’ll ever play together, this group as a team. I was taking it all in. I was enjoying the moment, enjoying my teammates.” Everything culminated like a Hollywood motion picture for Manning’s collegiate career. In his freshman season, Kansas finished the 198485 season 26-8 and placed second in the Big Eight. Manning averaged 14.6 points and 7.6 rebounds per game. And his output only increased from there. The 1985-86 Jayhawks, under Manning’s leadership, advanced to the Final Four for the first time since since the 197374 season. But against Duke in the Final Four, Manning scored four points on 2-of-9 shooting. Kansas lost 67-71. “1986, I think really helped prepare us for
[1988],” Manning said. “Just handling the energy and the buzz around it was unique and different because we never had that experience before.” Manning turned into another level of player the next two seasons, averaging 23.9 points per game during his junior campaign and 24.8 points per game during his senior campaign. During his senior season, Manning scored 942 points, a Kansas record for singleseason scoring. Manning’s career numbers in points, rebounds, made field goals and double-doubles are still school records. And his numbers for made free throws, steals and blocked shots are all in the top-10 all-time as well. Manning — now the coach at Wake Forest — saw his jersey retired on Dec. 1, 1992 with his wife, daughter and father by his side. Since it was so long ago, he doesn’t remember every detail from when his jersey was hoisted into history. But, what he does remember is how he feels about it now. He’s been back to Lawrence many times since his playing days were over, and he was an assistant coach under Bill Self from 2007-12. Both his children graduated from and played sports for Kansas. His daughter Taylor played volleyball and his son Evan played basketball. When Manning has returned to Allen Fieldhouse, it’s hard not to notice his No. 25 hanging in the rafters. “It makes me feel humbled,” Manning said of seeing his jersey retired. “I feel honored. But I feel like it’s a team award. If I didn’t have unselfish teammates, that would not have been possible.” — Edited by Ashley Hocking
“It makes me feel humbled, I feel honored. But I feel like it’s a team award. If I didn’t have unselfish teammates, that would not have been possible.” – DANNY MANNING
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KANSAN.COM JORDAN WOLF @JordanWolfKU
Despite playing over half a century ago, Wilt Chamberlain is often one of the first names to come to mind when considering all-time great Jayhawks. “The Big Dipper” had one of the most statistically impressive careers in college basketball history. In his two years with the varsity team, Chamberlain led Kansas to a combined record of 42-8 and a Final Four. His 1,433 career points rank him just 25th all-time, but that number is misleading when considering he played just two seasons. As a result, he owns the highest career scoring average with 29.9 points per game. Chamberlain came to Kansas in 1955. As was customary, he began his career on the freshman team. He made his impact felt soon, though, as in his first scrimmage against the varsity team, Chamberlain dropped 42 points, 29 rebounds and four blocks. His strong play soon gained the attention of legendary Jayhawks coach Phog Allen, who was one of the main reasons behind his decision to come to Kansas. He wouldn’t get a chance to play under Allen, however, as by the next year the 40-year veteran coach had retired. Chamberlain didn’t let it affect him, averaging 29.6 points and 18.9 rebounds per game in his first varsity season. Despite never getting the chance to coach Chamberlain at the varsity level, Allen knew that he was going to be a special player. “He easily has greater possibilities than any player we ever had here,” Allen said in a 1955 Sporting News article by Don Pierce. “He has coordination, can run and can jump. He can do everything.” This success rolled over into his junior year, as he posted an equally-
Photo courtesy of University Archives
W I LT CHAMBERL AIN Center, 1957–1958 No. 13
spectacular 30.1 points and 17.5 rebounds per game. His game was built off of his sheer physical dominance, which elevated him to a level unparalleled by his peers at the time. “A fan simply can’t realize the effect of such an overpowering man,” Allen told Pierce. “He just paralyzes smaller players.” Unfortunately for Kansas, that was the end of Chamberlain’s career in Lawrence. Allegedly due to his strained relationship with Allen’s replacement Dick Harp, Chamberlain left the team and university after his junior year. Due to NBA rules, he had to wait until his scheduled graduation year to enter the draft. So, instead of his senior year of college, Chamberlain opted to sign on to play with the Harlem Globetrotters for one year before heading to the pros. To get an idea of Chamberlain’s legendary status in his time, consider this lede from Pierce’s aforementioned article: “LAWRENCE, Kan. -- The greatest basketball
player in the game today, greater than Bob Cousy, Bob Pettit and Neil Johnston of the pros and Bill Russell and Robin Freeman of the collegians! Greater, perhaps, than any
19 years old, he was already known as one of the greats before he even suited up for the varsity team. In the NBA, Chamberlain continued to grow his legacy. After
“A fan simply can’t realize the effect of such an overpowering man. He just paralyzes smaller players.” –PHOG ALLEN player who ever lived; so good, in fact, that the rules are certain to be rewritten to curb this fabulous performer.” Now, consider that Pierce wrote such praise before Chamberlain had even played his full freshman season. Barely
15 seasons, he finished averaging 30.1 points and 22.9 rebounds per game. He owns the all-time highest career rebounding average in NBA history, and is second in scoring to only Michael Jordan. The peak of his career (and arguably the peak of all
individual performances ever) came in 1962, when he scored 100 points in a single game for the Philadelphia Warriors. Chamberlain passed away in 1999 at 63. Less than two years prior, he made his final appearance in Allen Fieldhouse for his jersey retirement. Despite not publicly returning to the Fieldhouse since leaving for the Globetrotters, he claimed to have no qualms with the Jayhawks or the University. The root of his absence was much more internalized. “A little over 40 years ago, I lost what I thought was the toughest battle in sports: losing to the North Carolina Tar Heels by one point in triple-overtime (in the national championship),” Chamberlain said in his jersey retirement speech. “It was a devastating thing for me, because I felt as though I let the University of Kansas down, and my teammates down.” It’s understandable as to why Chamberlain felt this way. For a player as dominant as him, the expectations must have been astronomical. To fall just one point short in triple overtime could have only made the feeling
worse. But, the wound is one that has healed over time. “I’ve learned over the years that you must learn to take the bitter with the sweet…and how sweet this is right here,” Chamberlain said, looking at his newlyhung jersey in the rafters. Chamberlain’s name has been forever etched in Jayhawk history. As arguably the greatest scorer, rebounder and athlete the program has ever seen, he’s consistently one of the first names to come to mind when considering the greatest players to ever don the crimson and blue. To be such a pivotal piece of such a rich history and tradition, Chamberlain is eternally grateful. “I’m a Jayhawk, and I know now why there’s so much tradition here, and so many wonderful things have come from here,” Chamberlain said. “I’m now very much a part of it by being (retired), and very proud of it. Rock Chalk Jayhawk.”
— Edited by Ashley Hocking
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Photo courtesy of Kansas Athletics
MARIO CHAL MERS
Guard, 2006–2008 No. 15 CHRISTIAN S. HARDY @ByHardy
Before Mario Chalmers graced an NBA court, he had already made history. Chalmers, with one shot in 2008, became etched into the minds of people all across America. Kids who saw Chalmers in his blue No. 15 jersey race around a stumbling Sherron Collins, with then-Memphis guard Derrick Rose in his face, and knock down that famed game-tying shot on a Monday night — a school night — are now the kids who attend Kansas. They’re the kids who watched the shot superstitiously by themselves, who sat next to their dad, who were overwhelmed and even a bit scared when Massachusetts Street was rushed. They are the kids who remember every single thing about that moment and the pure state of ecstasy that followed. Of course, that memory lives on in Allen Fieldhouse, every single time the team is introduced, when Chalmers’ shot is the pinnacle for the Jayhawks’ pregame hype video. The loudest ovation always comes after that shot. Chalmers’ shot that tied — but really won — the 2008 National Championship is still the only time in recent memory that the Allen Fieldhouse court was stormed. The game was in San Antonio. Miracles have a way of doing this, starting as stories and then becoming fables, the details becoming cemented into longterm memory. There’s no way to prove it, but I believe that most people at the University could recite where they were, how they reacted when that shot went through, and the nine-point comeback was all but complete. Then they can’t remember what happened after. Joey Anguiano’s mom pulled out a rosary at the Fieldhouse, where he and his family were watching, and started praying minutes before the shot. One of Schuyler Mills’ favorite
memories is that shot; he wore 15 all through his basketball-playing days because of Chalmers. When he hit the shot, he watched his dad lean back in his chair, then start clapping and laughing. The next day, he walked into school, in Wisconsin — which usually required a uniform — wearing a Brandon Rush jersey. D.J. Perlberg lived in Los Angeles and was a UCLA and USC fan. But in the moment Chalmers’ shot went down, he wished he was a Jayhawks fan. He is now. It was history professor Jonathan Hagel’s first year at Kansas, and he walked onto the front porch where he was watching the game and heard the screams from every house on on the block when that shot went down. Track and field sophomore Gabbi Dabney, who went to Lawrence Free State, remembers that too. Sophomore track and field runner Adel Yoonis from Georgia went to Kansas, at least in part, because of that shot. None of his friends or family quite understood it, but the shot stuck with him. Because of the shot, he started to fall in love with Kansas. I remember running upstairs to watch the final minutes of the game, then being hushed by my dad when Chalmers hit the shot. Kansan Sports Editor Amie Just remembers exactly what she was wearing. All of these people who watched the shot, together, on April 7, 2008, on CBS, are all at the University, either as students or professors, contributing their verse to Chalmers’ legacy. Chalmers shot 5-of13 in that game, but it was only the one shot that mattered, that became what everyone will remember of his 110 games over three years at Kansas. His jersey was retired in 2013 when he told the crowd he had reached one of his dreams by leaving his mark on Kansas. It’s quite clear he’s done that. And his is just a sliver of the collective memory that stemmed from the second named-miracle in Kansas basketball history. They are all memories and the legends that will live on for ages, through word of mouth or through the replays on ESPN Classic or the Allen Fieldhouse video board, because a 22-year-old hit a shot with 2.1 seconds left to send the Kansas basketball team to overtime in the 2008 National Championship game. That is history.
Of course, that
memory lives on in
Allen Fieldhouse,
every single time the
team is introduced,
when Chalmers’
shot is the pinnacle
for the Jayhawks’ pregame hype
video. The loudest ovation always
comes after that
shot. Chalmers’ shot that tied — but
really won — the
2008 National
Championship is
still the only time in
recent memory that
the Allen Fieldhouse court was stormed.
The game was in
Photo courtesy of Kansas Athletics
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Forward, 1970–1972 No. 15 JORDAN WOLF @JordanWolfKU
In casual discussions of the greatest players in Kansas basketball
history,
Isaac “Bud” Stallworth’s name is rarely mentioned with the Wilt Chamberlains and the Danny Mannings. But with all things considered, his career should be held in the same breath as anyone’s. Stallworth was born in 1950 in Hartselle, Alabama. His parents both worked in education, his father as a principal and administrator and his mother a teacher. He attended Morgan County Training School, a segregated, all-black K-12 school
in his hometown. Growing up during the end of the segregation era, Stallworth had to overcome many obstacles on the path to success. For instance, in his first years playing for the school team, they had no home gym. They played no true home games, had no true home crowd and had no court to call their own. They played their games in the nearby all-white school’s gym and practiced on outdoor dirt courts. When it rained, they practiced in a classroom with trashcans on either side of the room serving as baskets. But Stallworth didn’t let that stop him. By his sophomore year, his team had their own gym. They drew a home crowd, mostly white fans who set aside race issues to watch such a transcendent player take the court. But unfortunately, Stallworth had yet to earn the respect of everyone. Hartselle is just over 100 miles away from Tuscaloosa, home of the University of Alabama. When Stall-
worth visited Alabama and nearby Auburn, he claims to have been treated differently than when he visited elsewhere. He was the first black player to ever be recruited by Alabama. On his visit, he wasn’t allowed to meet the team, and had state troopers escorting him and his family. While such situations were common at the time, Stallworth’s parents had done such an excellent job educating their children and exposing them to the world, that he knew such treatment wasn’t right. “I don’t think they realized that I had seen other places, that I had not just grown up in this small southern town and not been exposed to equal rights and being treated equally … it’s no fault of theirs, but it was just a sign of the times,” Stallworth told David Downing of the Endacott Oral History Project at the University of Kansas. It wouldn’t have been unusual for Stallworth to commit to Alabama. In an era before recruiting blogs,
top-100 lists and highlight mixtapes, top-level players were found through one of two ways: word of mouth or discovering them in person. While talk of Stallworth’s greatness had spread across the south, it was his meeting of Jayhawk legend Jo Jo White that brought him north to Kansas — one that almost didn’t happen. In their efforts to properly shape their children, Stallworth’s parents, in addition to education and travel, stressed the importance of music. After his older sister attended the Midwestern Music and Art Camp in Lawrence, Stallworth did the same. As a trumpet player, he’d honed his skills to the point where he often boasted about being the best musician in the area. But of course, he still maintained his passion for basketball. Before he left for the camp, his father warned him to not play any hoops, as a face or mouth injury could severely hinder his playing abilities. But Stallworth didn’t listen,
and played pick-up ball. In a combination of luck and fate, White happened to be watching and told coach Ted Owens. The rest is history. Stallworth finished his career scoring 1,495 total points, good for No. 23 alltime in program history. In his three seasons with the Jayhawks, he averaged 18.2 points per game. As a senior in 1972, he was named both the Big Eight Player of the Year and a consensus second-team All-American. Oddly enough, there may be no better place to start when retelling Stallworth’s on-court success than the end. In his final game in Allen Fieldhouse on Feb. 26, 1972, Stallworth exploded for 50 points against Missouri. It was the second-highest scoring performance in Kansas history, and the highest in conference play. It was second only to Wilt Chamberlain’s 52-point showing in 1956. Stallworth hit an impressive 19 of 38 shots, along with making 12 of 13 free throws. But it’s the
context of these shots that makes his performance so much more impressive: in 1972, there was no threepoint line. All of his field goals were twos. “Think about this ... 13 of those baskets would have been three-pointers today,” Owens told the Lawrence Journal-World. “That’s 63 points.” Thirty-three years later, Stallworth returned to Allen Fieldhouse for his jersey retirement. Appropriately, it came in a game against Missouri. After such an illustrious career, he was met with extreme praise and welcome. He’s felt similar sentiments across the country from other former players and fans and believes that’s what makes Kansas such a special place to play. “You know, that family, that basketball family that played basketball at University of Kansas, it’s all over the world,” Stallworth told Downing. “… you don’t get that everywhere.” — Edited by Paola Alor
Paul Endacott: guard-forward, 1921-23, No. 12 Charlie T. Black: guard, 1922-24, No. 8 Tus Ackerman: center, 1923-1925, No. 7 Gale Gordon: center, 1925-27, No. 26 Al Peterson: center, 1925-27, No. 36 Fred Pralle: guard, 1936-38, No. 5 Howard Engleman: forward, 1939-41, No. 5 Charlie B. Black: forward, 1942-43, 46-47, No. 10 Ray Evans: guard, 1942-43, 46-47, No. 15 Clyde Lovellette: center, 1950-52, No. 16 B.H. Born: center, 1952-54, No. 25 Wilt Chamberlain: center, 1957-58, No. 13 Bill Bridges: forward, 1959-61, No. 32 Walter Wesley: center, 1964-66, No. 13 Jo Jo White: guard, 1966-69, No. 15 Dave Robisch: center-forward, 1969-71, No. 40 Bud Stallworth: guard, 1970-72, No. 15 Lynette Woodard: guard, 1978-81, No. 31 Darnell Valentine: guard, 1978-81, No. 14 Danny Manning: forward, 1985-88, No. 25 Angela Aycock: guard-forward, 1992-95, No. 12 Tameka Dixon: guard, 1994-97, No. 33 Jacque Vaughn: guard, 1994-97, No. 11 Raef LaFrentz: forward, 1995-98, No. 45 Paul Pierce: forward, 1996-98, No. 34 Drew Gooden: forward, 2000-02, No. 0 Kirk Hinrich: guard, 2000-03, No. 10 Nick Collison: forward, 2000-03, No. 4 Wayne Simien: forward, 2002-05, No. 23 Mario Chalmers: guard, 2006-08, No. 15 Brandon Rush: guard, 2005-08, No. 25 Max Falkenstien: broadcaster, 1946-2006, No. 60