RCW: Sport Spotlight 4.22 (Men's Basketball)
KANSAS WINS! True team effort tonight with all five starters contributing double-figure scoring performances in a road win over Iowa State #KUbball pic.twitter.com/0suVZaLtUk
— Kansas Basketball (@KUHoops) February 14, 2018
A post shared by Kansas Basketball (@kuhoops) on Feb 13, 2018 at 5:33pm PST
On this Valentine’s Day, here are some correlations Kansas basketball and the February 14 holiday.
Kansas is vying for its 14th-consecutive Big 12 regular-season conference title in 2017-18. KU’s 13-staight, starting in 2004-05, ties the NCAA record with UCLA (1967-79).
KU head coach Bill Self is the only coach in NCAA Division I history to have won 13-straight conference regular-season titles as UCLA accomplished its streak with multiple coaches. Self attained the 13-straight in his 14th season at Kansas.
There have been some great No. 14s in KU men’s basketball history. Obviously, the most notable is Jayhawk great Darnell Valentine who was an All-American under head coach Ted Owens and has his jersey No. 14 hanging in the rafters of Allen Fieldhouse.
Currently, Jayhawk senior guard Devonte’ Graham’s career accomplishments have brought Valentine back into the spotlight. Graham recently became the 22nd player in KU history to record 1,500 career points. He currently sits 20th place of that category at 1,531 while his 537 assists are 10th and his 180 steals are also 10th on the KU career books. Graham is the third player in school history to tally 1,500 points, 500 assists and 175 steals in a career. Valentine and Kirk Hinrich are the only other Jayhawks to hit those numbers. Valentine had 1,821 points, 609 assists, 336 steals from 1978-81 and Hinrich recorded 1,753 points, 668 assists, 206 steals from 2000-03.
Kansas men’s basketball No. 14s:
- Jim Dumas (1961-63) – Two-year starter under coach Dick Harp; KU won the Big Eight Holiday Tournament in 1962.
- Brannen Greene (2014-16) – Won three Big 12 regular-season titles and one Big 12 tourney for coach Bill Self.
- Jim Hoffman (1958-60) – Member of the 1960 Big Eight regular-season championship team; Appeared in 63 games as a Jayhawk for coach Dick Harp.
- Dean Kelley (1951-53) – Played for Phog Allen and was member of the 1952 NCAA title team; Won a gold medal in the 1952 Olympics for Team USA.
- Charles Penny (1947-49) – A Phog Allen player who appeared in 42 games as a Jayhawk.
- Kevin Pritchard (1987-90) – Starting point guard on the 1988 NCAA title team under coach Larry Brown; Also played two seasons under coach Roy Williams, winning the Preseason NIT in 1989.
- Tyrel Reed (2008-11) – An Academic All-American in 2011; A member of the 2008 NCAA title team; Won four Big 12 regular-season and three Big 12 tournament titles for coach Bill Self.
- Tommie Smith (1973-75) – Under coach Ted Owens, won two Big Eight regular-season titles in 1974 and 1975 as well as the 1975 Big Eight Holiday Tournament; The 1974 team advanced to the Final Four.
- Darnell Valentine (1978-81) – All-American in 1981 and four-time All-Big Eight Conference First Team selection; Ranks all over the KU single-season and career top-10 lists, including No. 1 in career steals (336); Had his KU jersey retired in 2005.
- T.J. Whatley (1993-96) – Played in 62 games for coach Roy Williams, winning three Big Eight Conference regular-season titles and advancing to the 1993 Final Four.
