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Kansas Basketball: Ranking the Jayhawks’ 12 Big 12-winning teams

By Matt Ostrowski

Feb 27, 2016; Lawrence, KS, USA; Kansas Jayhawks fans cheer from the stands after the Jayhawks defeating the Texas Tech Red Raiders 67-58 winning their twelfth consecutive Big 12 titles at Allen Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 27, 2016; Lawrence, KS, USA; Kansas Jayhawks fans cheer from the stands after the Jayhawks defeating the Texas Tech Red Raiders 67-58 winning their twelfth consecutive Big 12 titles at Allen Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports /
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Feb 27, 2016; Lawrence, KS, USA; Kansas Jayhawks forward Perry Ellis (34) dribbles the ball as Texas Tech Red Raiders forward Justin Gray (5) defends during the first half at Allen Fieldhouse. The Jayhawks won 67-58, winning their twelfth consecutive Big 12 titles. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 27, 2016; Lawrence, KS, USA; Kansas Jayhawks forward Perry Ellis (34) dribbles the ball as Texas Tech Red Raiders forward Justin Gray (5) defends during the first half at Allen Fieldhouse. The Jayhawks won 67-58, winning their twelfth consecutive Big 12 titles. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports /

4. 2015-16 (currently 25-4, 13-3 Big 12)

Obviously, the book is still being written for this team, so there’s only so much to write here. They’ve been led by Perry Ellis, who doesn’t seem to get any recognition for National Player of the Year, despite being the best player on the best team in the best conference in the country. He’s one of three players in the conference averaging 17 points and five rebounds per game in conference play, along with two guys who get plenty of national attention in Georges Niang and Buddy Hield.

I’m not saying he should win Player of the Year by any stretch of the imagination. That’s a two horse race right now between Buddy Hield and Denzel Valentine, and rightfully so. But Ellis should be in the conversation, and probably should also be an All-American, though that is a crowded field.

Anyway, after Kansas withstood Buddy Hield’s epic performance in early January in a 109-106 triple OT win in January, they quickly became the clear favorites in a historically good season for the conference. However, that game seemed to take a toll on them, going 3-3 in their next six games, including an ugly loss against the Oklahoma State Cowboys. They found themselves two games out of first come February.

But now they have rattled off nine in a row after a 90-84 OT win over Kentucky at Allen Fieldhouse, and sit two games up on West Virginia. They’re one win away from winning the conference outright, which I assume they will do this week since they play in Lawrence on Saturday (I do expect them to lose on Monday in Austin against Texas).

This is an amazing feat in a season in which the conference has been, as previously mentioned, historically good, and this was covered by Jesse Newell last Friday:

"According to Pomeroy’s numbers, this year’s Big 12 is tied as the toughest out of 390 conferences in the last 12 seasons, matching the Big Ten in 2010-11. Pomeroy, who calls this year’s Big 12 “historically good,” says if he’d have known the league would turn out this competitive at the beginning of the season, he would have predicted KU’s title streak would have come to an end —Kansas City Star"

Next: 2010-11

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