All of the greatest Kansas Jayhawks point guards have contributed to Kansas becoming one of the nation’s best Division I college programs. In the beginning, the college game was dominated by smooth shooters and quick passers.
However, even though the game has moved more toward versatile swingmen, outside shooters still play a big role in NCAA success.
As younger players like Mario Chalmers and Sherron Collins carried on that legacy with tremendous talent and skill, older players like Jacque Vaughn and Kirk Hinrich made their mark on the history of Kansas’ offense with their outstanding performances in the past.
Many of the Jayhawks’ point guards went on to play in the NBA, and some even went on to have Hall of Fame careers. However, their basketball careers all started when they started for Kansas.
So which of these long-standing Kansas players ought to be near the top of the list? Who are the greatest Kansas Jayhawks players ever to play PG? Vote below, and feel free to add any players you think should be considered if they are not on the list.
The following is a list of the five greatest Kansas Jayhawks point guards ever:
#5. Clyde Lovellette (1949–1955)
Clyde Lovellette, a 6-foot-9 center, led Kansas to its first national championship in school history in 1952. When he left the school, he set a school record with 839 rebounds. His 1,979 points still rank fourth on the Jayhawks’ scoring charts.
Lovellette won three NBA titles as a backup, two as an aging veteran behind Bill Russell in Boston, and one as a rookie behind George Mikan with the Lakers.
Between then and now, he had a Hall of Fame career of his own, playing five seasons for the Lakers, Hawks, and Cincinnati Royals (now the Kings), averaging 20 points and 10 rebounds per game.
#4. Nick Collison (1999-03)
6’9″ and a fearsome interior presence for KU from 1999 to 2003, was the greatest post-player in the history of many college programs.
He had the third-most blocked shots in school history with 243, the third-most rebounds with 1,143, and the second-most points with 2,097.
Throughout his entire career, Collison has alternated between the Thunder’s starting lineup and bench.
Even though he didn’t reach his career highs of 9.8 points and 9.4 rebounds per game last year, his performance off the bench that year was his first opportunity in his seven NBA seasons to contribute to a real contender.
#3. Aaron Miles (2001-05)
One of the most successful point guards to ever play college basketball is Aaron Miles (2001-05), who led Kansas to two Final Four teams.
His 954 career assists rank eighth in Division I history, and his 264 steals rank third all-time at Kansas.
When Miles first joined the Warriors, he played only 6.2 minutes per night and averaged 1.3 assists per game. He spent a portion of the D-League season with the Reno Bighorns, where he averaged 15.1 points and 8.8 assists per game.
#2. Danny Manning (1984–88)
Danny Manning is the greatest college player to ever play for Kansas and was the hero of the underdog national champions Kansas won in 1988.
The forward is 6’10” tall, ranks sixth in school history with 200 blocks, and is fourth with 250 steals. He also holds KU records for 1,187 rebounds and 2,951 points.
After being selected with the No. 1 pick, Manning was unable to save the struggling Clippers franchise. He was drafted No. 1 overall, but he quickly established himself as an outstanding NBA forward, winning two All-Star games for Los Angeles. Over the course of his 15 years as a professional, he averaged 22.8 points and 6.9 rebounds per game.
#1. Wilt Chamberlain (1956–58)
Despite only spending two seasons at Kansas, Wilt Chamberlain left an indelible impression as the Jayhawk’s most dominant player.
While leading Kansas to a narrow loss in the greatest NCAA title game in history—the 1957 triple-OT heartbreaker against undefeated North Carolina—he set a school record for career averages of 29.9 points and 18.3 rebounds.
Naturally, Chamberlain’s stellar college career was only the beginning of his unparalleled NBA career.
The Big Dipper is one of the very best centers to ever play the game. He holds the all-time records for scoring 100 points in a game, scoring 50.4 points per game for a season, and playing 1,045 games without fouling out once.
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