The University of Kansas (KU) Jayhawks have one of the richest traditions in college basketball, producing some of the greatest players and coaches in the sport’s history. Below are some of the most legendary players to wear the crimson and blue.

All-Time Kansas Basketball Legends

Wilt Chamberlain (1956–1958)

  • One of the most dominant players in basketball history
  • Led Kansas to the 1957 NCAA Championship Game
  • Averaged 29.9 PPG and 18.3 RPG in college
  • 2× NBA Champion, 4× NBA MVP, Hall of Famer

Danny Manning (1984–1988)

  • 1988 NCAA Champion & Final Four MOP
  • 2× National Player of the Year (1988)
  • Kansas’ all-time leading scorer (2,951 points)
  • #1 overall pick in the 1988 NBA Draft

Paul Pierce (1995–1998)

  • 2× First-Team All-American
  • NBA Champion (2008, Boston Celtics)
  • 10× NBA All-Star, Hall of Famer

Jo Jo White (1965–1969)

  • 2× All-American at Kansas
  • Gold Medalist (1968 Olympics)
  • 2× NBA Champion with the Celtics, Hall of Famer

Raef LaFrentz (1994–1998)

  • 2× Consensus First-Team All-American
  • 2,066 career points, 1,186 rebounds at KU
  • #3 overall pick in the 1998 NBA Draft

Nick Collison (1999–2003)

  • Led Kansas to back-to-back Final Fours (2002, 2003)
  • 2,097 career points & 1,143 rebounds at KU
  • NBA veteran known for his leadership and toughness

Mario Chalmers (2005–2008)

  • 2008 NCAA Champion
  • Hit the “Mario Miracle” game-tying 3-pointer in the 2008 title game
  • NBA Champion (2012, 2013, Miami Heat)

Andrew Wiggins (2013–2014)

  • 2014 First-Team All-American & #1 overall pick
  • NBA Champion (2022, Golden State Warriors)
  • One of the most athletic wings in KU history

More Recent Kansas Legends

Frank Mason III (2013–2017)

  • 2017 National Player of the Year
  • 2017 Consensus First-Team All-American

Devonte’ Graham (2014–2018)

  • 2018 Big 12 Player of the Year
  • Led KU to the 2018 Final Four

Ochai Agbaji (2018–2022)

  • 2022 NCAA Champion & Final Four MOP
  • 2022 Big 12 Player of the Year

Christian Braun (2019–2022)

  • 2022 NCAA Champion
  • 2023 NBA Champion (Denver Nuggets)

Legendary Kansas Coaches

  • Phog Allen (1907–1909, 1919–1956) – “Father of Basketball Coaching,” 3× National Champion
  • Larry Brown (1983–1988) – Led KU to the 1988 NCAA Championship
  • Roy Williams (1988–2003) – Multiple Final Fours, later won titles with UNC
  • Bill Self (2003–present) – 2× NCAA Champion (2008, 2022), multiple Final Fours

Kansas remains one of the most dominant programs in college basketball, consistently producing NBA stars, championship teams, and Hall of Famers.