College basketball’s All-time Starting Five: Kansas Jayhawks
With March Madness right around the corner, The Dagger is picking an all-time starting five from some of college basketball’s most tradition-rich programs.
Our picks were based on a variety of factors, including stats, tourney success, All-America selections, and of course, our opinions.
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Next up: Kansas Jayhawks.
Who was considered from Kansas:
1. Danny Manning, F, 1984-88 (20.1 ppg, 8.1 rpg)
2. Wilt Chamberlain, C, 1956-58 (29.9 ppg, 18.2 rpg)
3. Clyde Lovellette, C, 1949-52 (24.7 ppg, 10.1 rpg)
4. Paul Pierce, G/F, 1995-98 (16.4 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 2.2 apg)
5. Raef LaFrentz, F, 1994-98 (15.8 ppg, 9.1 rpg)
6. Jo Jo White, G, 1965-69 (15.3 ppg, 4.9 rpg)
7. Nick Collison, F, 1999-2003 (14.8 ppg, 8.0 rpg)
8. Darnell Valentine, G, 1977-81 (15.4 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 5.2 apg)
9. Dave Robisch, F, 1968-71 (21.1 ppg, 9.8 rpg)
10. Jacque Vaughn, G, 1993-97 (9.6 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 6.4 apg)
• Feb. 10: Arizona
• Feb. 12: Georgetown
• Feb. 17: Louisville
• Feb. 19: UConn (women)
• Feb. 22: Indiana
• Feb. 24: Syracuse
• Feb. 26: Michigan St.
• Feb. 29: Kentucky
• March 2: UCLA
• March 4: UConn (men)
• March 7: Duke
• March 9: UNC
• March 12: Kansas
Kansas’ All-Time Starting Five
G — Jo Jo White
He was as determined as they come and often noted that he was cut by his junior varsity team in high school only to eventually make the varsity roster. He grew to become a two-time All-American during his Kansas career, leading the Jayhawks to two NCAA tournament appearances and being named team MVP for three consecutive years. He was a three-time all-conference player and went on to play for the United States in the Olympics and 11 seasons in the NBA. He was enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2015.
G — Paul Pierce
With stellar athleticism at 6-foot-6, Pierce could play a variety of roles for the Jayhawks and he did them all well. He had a knack for knocking down big shots or getting a key defensive stop. He is one of just seven players in KU history to score 700 points or more in a single season. He was a consensus first-team All-American as a junior in 1998 and the MVP of the Big 12 conference tournament as a sophomore and a junior. His jersey at Kansas was retired five years after he was drafted by the Boston Celtics.
F — Danny Manning
The best player in Kansas history could do it all. He had the size and strength to play in the post and the versatility to bounce out to the perimeter and knock down shots. He ran the floor well and was a strong defender. He was the consensus national Player of the Year in 1988 and a consensus first-team All-American in 1987 and 1988. He earned the MVP award in the 1988 Final Four and finished his career as the leading scorer and rebounder in Big Eight history. He remains the leading rebounder and scorer in KU history. He scored 2,951 points in his career, which is 854 points more than the next closest Jayhawk. He is the eighth leading scorer in NCAA history.
F — Clyde Lovellette
He is the only player in NCAA history to lead the nation in scoring and win the national championship in the same season. He averaged a double-double for his career, a total of 80 games. He scored 29 points per game as a senior. Lovellette led the Jayhawks to the 1952 national title and was the MVP of the NCAA tournament. He was a three-time all-conference selection and a two-time All-American. He played professionally into the mid-1960s and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame in 1988.
C — Wilt Chamberlain
His size and strength redefined the game and some of his records still haven’t been broken nearly 60 years after his college career ended. He holds Kansas’ single-game scoring record of 52 points and its single-game rebounding record of 36, which is unlikely to be broken. He was a consensus All-American in 1957 and 1958 and was the MVP of the NCAA tournament in 1957. He was enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame.
Toughest omissions: There are just too many good big men in the history of this program. Nick Collison led the Jayhawks to back-to-back Final Fours and was a national Player of the Year. Raef LaFrentz was a two-time consensus first-team All-American and two-time Big 12 Player of the Year. Darnell Valentine was the first player in history be named All-Big Eight Conference all four years of his career. He still holds the Kansas single-season and career steals records.
