The History of Jayhawks Players
The Kansas Jayhawks have had some of the most talented players to have ever played the game of basketball. The team has had great players from the start and continue to stride for excellence in their recruiting. The prestigious nature of the University of Kansas allows the basketball team to continue recruiting blue chip prospects. KU has recruited many McDonald’s All-Americans over the years, which is a title given to the top-notch high school players. A large number of Jayhawks players go onto play in the National Basketball Association (NBA) or begin coaching careers. This proves that the Kansas Jayhawks are one of the most elite programs in the NCAA.
Below, I have chosen just a few of the quality players that have played for the Kansas Jayhawks. All of these players had success at KU; whether it be winning championships, breaking records, receiving rewards, or playing great team basketball. Majority of these players continued their careers playing in the NBA and/or became coaches of the game of basketball.
Wilt Chamberlain
Wilt Chamberlain was one of the greatest basketball players of all-time, college and professional. While playing for the Jayhawks, Wilt averaged 30 points per game! In the 1957 championship game, North Carolina needed to place three players on Chamberlain in order to defend his amazing offensive skills. (North Carolina eventually won this championship in the third overtime period, but only by one point.) After this defeat, Chamberlain decided to move on and leave college early. He only played for the Jayhawks from 1955 to 1958 and then went on to play for the Harlem Globetrotters for a year. Then he was drafted to the NBA in 1959 by the Philadelphia Warriors and became one of the highest paid players in the league. One of Wilt’s most amazing accomplishments is scoring 100 points in a single game against the New York Nicks in 1962.
Danny Manning
Danny Manning was a part of the team that led the Kansas Jayhawks to their 1988 NCAA championship when KU was only a six seed in the tournament. Manning is the all-time leader in scoring and rebounding at the University of Kansas. In 1988, Danny Manning won many awards including the college player of the year. This was the same year that he was drafted into the NBA and was the overall number one pick. In the NBA, he played for many teams from 1988 to 2003. The majority of his NBA career was with the L.A. Clippers.
Paul Pierce
Paul Pierce was a phenomenal player under the coaching of Roy Williams. Pierce was a top performer for the Jayhawks even as a freshmen. He won back-to-back Big 12 Conference Championship MVP awards as well as being named an All-American his junior year. Paul Pierce left KU after his junior year to pursue his NBA dreams. In 1998, Pierce was drafted as the 10th overall pick by the Boston Celtics. He has gone on to be extremely successful in his NBA career. Paul Pierce has won an NBA Championship and was named the NBA Finals MVP.
Mario Chalmers
I know what your thinking, he just left the Jayhawks. Mario Chalmers created history for the Kansas Jayhawks in the 2008 NCAA Championship. The Kansas Jayhawks won the national title that year thanks to an amazing shot by this amazing guard. (I posted the footage in my video section) After winning the national title, “Super” Mario Chalmers proceeded to pursue his NBA career. He was drafted 34th overall in the 2008 NBA draft. Chalmers now plays for the Miami Heat.
These are just a few of the quality players the Kansas Jayhawks have had on historical teams. The list would go on forever if I named all of the KU greats, so I will allow you to do your own research on additional Kansas players. Here are a few players that might interest you in your research: Raef Lafrentz, Jacque Vaughn, Scot Pollard, and Drew Gooden. I hope you enjoyed this weeks blog, and come back next week for the topic of National Championships.
Sources
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kansas_Jayhawks_men%27s_basketball
Jayhawks Basketball Blog 