Kansas basketball: 5 best seasons in Jayhawks history, ranked

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Kansas basketball (Photo credit should read MATT CAMPBELL/AFP via Getty Images) /

4. 1956-57 Kansas basketball season

Final Record: 24-3 | Season Result: National Runners-Up (Lost to North Carolina)

Back when antiquated rules could still rule a top-tier college basketball program, legendary head coach Phog Allen was forced to retire following the 1955-56 season because the university had a retirement age clause. That paved the way for Dick Harp to take over for his first season and, in a stroke of good fortune as he filled massive shoes, he had a pair of massive shoes walking into Lawrence for the 1956-57 season.

Wilt Chamberlain isn’t just an NBA legend. As he joined Kansas basketball, he did so with expectations as big as his frame and he immediately met them. In his first college basketball game of his career, he single-handedly dominated Northwestern as he up 52 points and 31 rebounds in a Jayhawks victory.

With “The Stilt” in the middle and despite the fact that the team didn’t have any other future NBA players on the roster, Kansas was dominant throughout the season. They lost only two games in the regular season by a combined four points and went on to win the Big Seven. That’s when they made it to the NCAA Tournament.

The Jayhawks seemed destined for a title once tourney time rolled around. They made it to the Final Four where they met up with a San Francisco team that had won the previous two titles. Kansas rolled past them with a 24-point win. However, the North Carolina Tar Heels ended their run just short in a triple-overtime thriller.

Even still, with Chamberlain’s dominance and how far the Jayhawks made it, they deserve to come in at No. 4.