It was another banner year for Kansas athletics. The Jayhawks made its 23rd consecutive NCAA tournament appearance (the longest active streak in the country) and reached the national championship game where they lost to Kentucky.
Kansas led its conference in average attendance for the 26th consecutive year dating back to its days in the Big Eight Conference. Since 1978, the Jayhawks have ranked among the NCAA’s top 10 in attendance 18 times and 31 times in the top 15.
Other impressive Kansas basketball streaks:
- Since 2005, Kansas has won eight straight Big 12 regular-season titles, the longest active streak in Division I.
- Kansas has sold out 180 consecutive games in Allen Fieldhouse dating back to 2002.
- Kansas as won at least 23 games every year since 1989.
- Each four-year senior in the Kansas program dating back to 1987 has won at least 100 games during their playing careers.
- Kansas has gone 243 games without consecutive losses, the longest streak in the nation.
- Kansas posted its 17th unbeaten season in Allen Fieldhouse in 2012, going 16-0. Kansas has gone unbeaten at home in four out of the last five years.
Kansas women’s basketball is also making major strides under the leadership of Bonnie Hendrickson, who once coached at Virginia Tech where she led the Hokies to five NCAA tournament appearances in seven seasons there. Hendrickson guided the Jayhawks to one of their best seasons in school history in 2012, Kansas going 21-13 and advancing to the NCAA tournament “Sweet 16” for the first time since 1998 and just the third time in program history.
Hendrickson will have nine letterwinners returning, including four starters, and will also welcome a strong recruiting class.
Kansas football looks to rebound under the new leadership of Coach Charlie Weis, who made a name for himself in the professional ranks as the offensive coordinator with the Super Bowl champion New England Patriots before moving to the college level to coach at Notre Dame. We
The 2011 U.S. News & World Report ranked Kansas University 101st in the category "national universities."
Submitted photo
is was named national coach of the year in 2005 after leading Notre Dame to the Fiesta Bowl. The following season he got the Irish back to a BCS bowl in the Sugar Bowl. Weis is a 33-year coaching veteran, including a 16-year stint in the NFL.
Pro Football Hall of Fame: Mike McCormack, John Riggins and Gale Sayers
Kansas Bowl Game History 2008, Insight Bowl vs. Minnesota (W) 2008, Orange Bowl vs. Virginia Tech (W) 2005, Forth Worth Bowl vs. Houston (W) 2003, Tangerine Bowl vs. NC State (L) 1995, Alamo Bowl vs. UCLA (W) 1992, Aloha Bowl vs. BYU (W) 1981, All-American Bowl vs. Mississippi State (L) 1975, Sun Bowl vs. Pitt (L) 1973, Liberty Bowl vs. NC State (L) 1969, Orange Bowl vs. Penn State (L) 1961, Bluebonnet Bowl vs. Rice (W) 1948, Orange Bowl vs. Georgia Tech (L)
NFL First-Round Draft Picks 2008, Aqib Talib, CB (Tampa Bay) 1993, Dana Stubblefield, DT (San Francisco) 1981, David Verser, WR (Cincinnati) 1977, Mike Butler, DE (Green Bay) 1974, Done Goode, LB (San Diego) 1971, John Riggins, RB (New York Jets) 1965, Gale Sayers, RB (Chicago) 1944, Ray Evans, RB (Chicago)
Men’s Basketball:
Naismith Hall of Fame: Phog Allen, Larry Brown, John Bunn, Wilt Chamberlain, Jerry Colangelo, Paul Endacott, Bill Johnson, Allen Kelley, Dutch Lonborg, Clyde Lovellette, John McLendon, Ralph Miller, James Naismith, Ernie Quigley, Adolph Rupp, Dean Smith and Roy Williams
Kansas NCAA Tournament History 2012, NCAA Runner-up 2011, Elite Eight 2010 2009, Sweet 16 2008, NCAA Champions 2007, Elite Eight 2006 2005 2004, Elite Eight 2003, NCAA Runner-up 2002, NCAA Final Four 2001, Sweet 16 2000 1999 1998 1997, Sweet 16 1996, Elite Eight 1995, Sweet 16 1994, Sweet 16 1993, NCAA Final Four 1992 1991, NCAA Runner-up 1990 1988, NCAA Champions 1987, Sweet 16 1986, NCAA Final Four 1985 1984 1981, Sweet 16 1978 1975 1974, NCAA Final Four 1971, NCAA Final Four 1967, Sweet 16 1966, Sweet 16 1960, Sweet 16 1957, NCAA Runner-up 1953, NCAA Runner-up 1952, NCAA Champions 1942, Sweet 16 1940, NCAA Runner-up
NBA First-Round Draft Picks 2011, Markieff Morris (Phoenix) 2011, Marcus Morris (Houston) 2010, Cole Aldrich (New Orleans) 2010, Xavier Henry (Memphis) 2008, Brandon Rush (Portland) 2008, Darrell Arthur (New Orleans) 2007, Julian Wright (New Orleans) 2005, Wayne Simien (Miami) 2003, Kirk Hinrich (Chicago) 2003, Nick Coillison (Seattle) 2002, Drew Gooden (Memphis) 1998, Raef LaFrentz (Denver) 1998, Paul Pierce (Boston) 1997, Scot Pollard (Detroit) 1997, Jacque Vaughn (Utah) 1995, Greg Ostertag (Utah) 1993, Rex Walters (New Jersey) 1991, Mark Randall (Chicago) 1988, Danny Manning (LA Clippers) * 1981, Darnell Valentine (Portland) 1976, Norman Cook (Boston) 1972, Bud Stallworth (Seattle) 1969, Jo Jo White (Boston) 1966, Walt Wesley (Cincinnati) 1962, Wayne Hightower (Philadelphia) 1959, Wilt Chamberlain (Philadelphia) 1952, Clyde Lovellette (Milwaukee)
* No. 1 overall player selected
Women’s Basketball:
Naismith Hall of Fame: Lynette Woodard and Marian E. Washington
Popular Attractions: Mass Street Business District, Allen Field House – Booth Hall of Athletics, Clinton Lake, Riverfront Park, Liberty Hall, Museum of Natural History, Spencer Museum of Art
Popular Restaurants: Free State Brewing Co., Johnny’s Tavern, Papa Keno’s Pizza, The Burger Stand at the Casbah, Henry T’s, La Parilla, Zen Zero, 23rd Street Brewery, Jefferson’s, Bigg’s BBQ, Salty Iguana, Fuzzy’s Taco Shop, Quinton’s, Teller’s, 715
Lodging: Oread Hotel, Quality Inn, Days Inn, Baymont Inns & Suites, Hampton Inn, Holiday Inn, Comfort Inn
George Krebs holds the distinction of being part of the all-time football teams at Kansas and West Virginia University, although it took Kansas 35 years to discover that their George Creps was actually George Krebs of Charleston, W.Va. Krebs and Coach Fielding “Hurry Up” Yost once played together at WVU in 1895, and then during Yost’s brief stop at Kansas in 1899, he brought along Krebs because the talent there was so sparse. Since Kansas athletic director James Naismith was adamantly against the use of “ringers”, Yost told Naismith that Krebs was a farm boy from Colorado and even came up with a fake address for him. Krebs went on to become the star player on one of Kansas’ finest football teams of that era in 1899.
DID YOU KNOW?:
Lawrence is the sixth-largest city in Kansas. It has been named one of the best places to retire by U.S. News & World Report and ranks among the top 10 college towns by Parents & Colleges. The 2011 U.S. News & World Report ranked Kansas University 101st in the category "national universities" and that report also stated that the University of Kansas ranked as the 18th most popular university in the United States.
NEXT WEEK: KANSAS STATE
Michael Fragale, Julie Brown, Chris Ostien and Alyssa Casalino also contributed to this report
