When it comes to college hoops royalty, few institutions shine as brightly as the Kansas Jayhawks. A rich history that spans more than a century has seen KU produce consistently elite-level talent, especially the kind that has dominated the college and NBA ranks.
From towering legends like Wilt Chamberlain to gritty point guards such as Frank Mason III, the Jayhawks made their mark on the sport.
The 10 Greatest Kansas Jayhawks Basketball Players of All Time
1. Wilt Chamberlain (1956–1958)
- Position: Center
- Height: 7’1″
- Weight: 275 pounds
Wilt Chamberlain’s influence in Kansas was evolutionary.
Over a two-year span, he scored 29.9 points and grabbed 18.3 rebounds per game. Well, these are numbers that do not register, even all these years later. Chamberlain was a walking mismatch, so physically dominant that teams pretty much developed new defensive strategies merely to attempt to halt him.
His sophomore year will forever be remembered. Wilt Chamberlain took the Jayhawks to the 1957 NCAA championship game, where he scored 23 points and grabbed 14 rebounds in a heartbreaking triple-overtime loss to North Carolina. Losing, he was named Most Outstanding Player of the tournament—a precursor to what a stopper he was.
What ensued in the NBA was the stuff of legend: four MVPs, 100 points in one game, and a career that began in Lawrence.
2. Danny Manning (1984–1988)
- Position: Power Forward
- Height: 6’10”
- Weight: 230 pounds
Danny Manning is bigger than Jayhawk lore—he’s Kansas basketball to a whole generation. Manning started each of his four years and departed as the school’s all-time scoring leader (2,951) and rebounder (1,187).
His path to legend truly began in 1988, however.
Manning took an underdog squad all the way to the national championship in that year. He beat highly favored Oklahoma in the championship. The squad depended so much on him that they were even referred to as “Danny and the Miracles.”
It was a Cinderella season by a one-man army. He finished his KU career as the No. 1 overall pick of the 1988 NBA Draft, but his Jayhawk legend had already been cemented.
3. Paul Pierce (1995–1998)
- Position: Small Forward
- Height: 6’7″
- Weight: 235 pounds
Before he was “The Truth” of Boston, Paul Pierce was the most consistent Kansas scorer. He accumulated 1,786 points (16.4 PPG) and 676 rebounds (6.2 RPG) in three years. And he had a game that was balanced enough to create matchup problems.
Pierce earned two Big 12 Tournament MVPs and first-team All-American status in his third season. Despite never playing in a Final Four, his talent, presence, and touch around the basket made him an eventual NBA Finals MVP.
4. Frank Mason III (2013–2017)
- Position: Point Guard
- Height: 5’11”
- Weight: 190 pounds
Small and underrecruited, Frank Mason III arrived in Kansas with something to prove—and proved it all. By his senior year, he was the National Player of the Year, playing at 20.9 points and 5.2 assists.
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He became the first Big 12 player to post 20+ points and 5+ assists per game in a season. Mason’s toughness and leadership led Kansas to four consecutive Big 12 championships while he played for the team.
5. Clyde Lovellette (1949–1952)
- Position: Center
- Height: 6’9″
- Weight: 234 pounds
Clyde Lovellette was the first of the big men on campus. In 1952, he led the country in scoring at 28.4 points per game. But, with that, he also led Kansas to its first NCAA national championship. That year, he was the first player in the history of college basketball to lead the country in scoring and capture a national title.
6. Jo Jo White (1965–1969)
- Position: Guard
- Height: 6’3″
- Weight: 190 pounds
Jo Jo White was the very essence of a floor general. He was twice an All-American and averaged 15.3 points per game with a calm. However, his hot-tempered leadership guided the Jayhawks.
White is best recalled for the 1966 NCAA tournament game against Texas Western, when an iffy out-of-bounds call may have kept Kansas out of the title game.
7. Nick Collison (1999–2003)
- Position: PF/C
- Height: 6’10”
- Weight: 255 pounds
Few have represented Kansas basketball as well as Nick Collison. He wasn’t flashy—he was dogged. Collison tallied 2,097 points and 1,143 rebounds, second all-time in both those categories.
Collison was part of two KU Final Fours and was a consensus first-team All-American in 2003. Nick’s final season was a clinic in hustle and passion, capped by a vintage 33-point, 19-rebound effort against Duke in the NCAA tournament.
8. Raef LaFrentz (1994–1998)
- Position: PF/C
- Height: 6’11”
- Weight: 240 pounds
Smooth-shooting big man Raef LaFrentz caused enemies’ headaches with his inside-outside scoring. Over four years, he accumulated 2,066 points and 1,186 boards to be a two-time consensus First Team All-American.
LaFrentz was the anchor of some dominant KU teams during the mid-’90s, leading the Jayhawks to multiple conference championships and firmly placing them on the national map.
9. Brandon Rush (2005–2008)
- Position: SG/SF
- Height: 6’6″
- Weight: 210 pounds
Brandon Rush added defense, clutch shooting, and swagger to the Jayhawks. Averaging 13.6 points per game, he was the pillar of Kansas’s 2008 NCAA title run, particularly during the Final Four and national championship.
Rush tore his ACL the previous summer but returned even stronger. His toughness, shutdown defense, and pressure jump shooting made him fans’ favorite and ignited Bill Self’s initial national championship.
10. Devonte’ Graham (2014–2018)
- Position: Point Guard
- Height: 6’2″
- Weight: 185 pounds
Devonte’ Graham wasn’t always the most flashy of players, but his consistency and leadership were irreplaceable. As a senior, he averaged 17.3 points and 7.2 assists a game, earning Big 12 Player of the Year and consensus All-American honors.
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He assisted KU to a 2018 Final Four, and his shot-making and pace-controlling skills made him the ideal Bill Self point guard.
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