Kansas Jayhawks Men's Basketball - Notable Games

Notable Games

See also: 1957 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship Game

• In the NCAA title game in 1957, Wilt Chamberlain and Kansas were defeated by the North Carolina Tar Heels 54–53 in triple overtime in what many consider to be the greatest NCAA Championship game ever played.

• In the 1966 Midwest Regional Finals, Kansas, the favored team to face the University of Kentucky, played Texas Western college. Texas Western got a controversial double overtime victory, 81–80. The would-be winning shot at the buzzer was made by All-American Jo Jo White, but White was called for stepping on the sideline and the shot was negated. This has always been highly contested and a photograph of the play shows his heel over the line but not on the floor. Being the only piece of impartial evidence, it is impossible to tell whether his heel came up from the line prior to the photo, or whether his heel dropped to the line following the photo. Regardless of what actually happened, Texas Western was given the victory and advanced to the Final Four. The game is immortalized in Glory Road which is based on that season's Texas Western team.

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

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

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

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

• On April 5, 2008, in their Final Four game leading up to their 2008 NCAA tournament victory over Memphis, the Jayhawks defeated North Carolina 84–66. Kansas ran up the score to 40–12 late into the first half and never looked back. The Jayhawks held the Tar Heels without a basket for over nine minutes of the first half. After Brandon Rush buried a triple in transition to give Kansas a startling 38–12 lead, moving UNC coach Roy Williams to uncharacteristically call a timeout so early in a game, CBS announcer Billy Packer exclaimed, “This game is over!” even though there was 7:32 left in the first half. While the Tar Heels would rally within four points of the lead, KU put on a second run to pull away for an 18-point victory. The Jayhawks shot 53 percent from the floor, while holding the Tar Heels to 35 percent. Kansas had 10 steals, 9 more rebounds and assists, six more blocks, and held North Carolina to 23 points below its average.

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

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

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

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

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