7 Best Kansas Jayhawks Basketball Players, Ranked

The Kansas Jayhawks have been a powerhouse college basketball program for decades. They’ve won four national championships, two since 2008. The most recent came in 2022. The program finished as runner-up in 1940, 1953, 1957, 1991, 2002, and 2012. 

The Jayhawks hold the record for most consecutive seasons, reaching the NCAA Tournament with 28. The last time they didn’t make it was 1989. 

The Jayhawks also hold records for most consecutive winning seasons with 39 and most winning seasons of all time with 104. 

In recent memory, when betting on their basketball lines, you’ve likely been on the positive side more than the negative. 

Below, I’ll parse my way through over 100 years of history to discuss the seven best Jayhawks of all time.

7 Best Kansas Jayhawks Basketball Players, Ranked

Kansas Jayhawks All-Time Greatest Basketball Players

1. Wilt Chamberlain

Not only did Chamberlain dominate the NBA, but he did so in college, averaging 29.9 points and 18.3 rebounds per game. While he never won a national championship, he was named the NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player in 1957. He made two All-American squads, and his No. 13 was retired by the team. 

In his first game with Kansas, at over 7 feet tall, he scored 52 and had 31 rebounds. 

2. Danny Manning

Manning was an incredible player for the Jayhawks, almost single-handedly leading them to a national championship in 1988. He averaged 24.8 points and nine rebounds per game that season. 

Across four seasons, he averaged 20.1 points and 8.1 rebounds before becoming the No. 1 overall pick in the 1988 NBA draft.

He was named the Final Four Most Outstanding Player in 1988 and National College Player of the Year in 1988. He had two first-team All-American nods, his No. 25 was retired by the team, and more. 

3. Paul Pierce

Playing for the Jayhawks for three seasons, Pierce averaged 16.4 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.4 steals, and 0.9 blocks per game. His best season came before he left for the NBA, averaging 20.4 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 2.6 assists. He averaged more than 30 minutes per game that year but stayed under that in his first two seasons. Pierce was a first-team All-American in 1998, a two-time Big 12 Tournament MVP, and his No. 34 was retired by the Jayhawks. 

4. Jo Jo White

A two-time second-team All-American, White’s No. 15 was retired by the Jayhawks after an illustrious four-year stint. 

White averaged 15.3 points per game in those four seasons and shot 42% from the floor. He was the No. 9 pick in the 1969 NBA draft. 

He died in 2018 after battling cancer. 

5. Nick Collison

The No. 12 pick in the 2003 NBA draft, Collison played four seasons for the Jayhawks. He averaged 14.8 points, eight rebounds, and 1.7 blocks per game across his 142 games. 

He was a first-team All-American, NABC Player of the Year, and All-Big 12 in 2003, adding another All-Big 12 in 2001. His No. 4 is retired by the team.

During the 2002-03 season, he averaged 18.5 points and ten rebounds per game. 

6. Kirk Hinrich

A sharpshooter, Hinrich has been putting up shots and making them since his college days. He made 49.3% of his shots from the floor and 43% from 3-point range. He averaged less than 30 minutes per game across four seasons and had 12.4 points, 3.8 rebounds, 4.7 assists, and 1.5 steals per game. 

His best year came in 2002–03 with Collison, averaging 17.3 points. He and Collison were a lethal duo from 1999 to 2003. 

His No. 10 was retired by the team. 

7. Joel Embiid

Starting just 20 games, Embiid makes the list for his dominating presence on the court. That year, he averaged 11.2 points, 8.1 rebounds, 1.4 assists, and 2.6 blocks per game across 23.1 minutes per outing.

He was the No. 3 pick in 2014, was the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, and second-team All-Big 12.