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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 22, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Clippers center Cole Aldrich (45) talks with guard Jamal Crawford (11) during the third quarter against the Phoenix Suns at Staples Center. The Los Angeles Clippers won 124-84. Mandatory Credit: Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 22, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Clippers center Cole Aldrich (45) talks with guard Jamal Crawford (11) during the third quarter against the Phoenix Suns at Staples Center. The Los Angeles Clippers won 124-84. Mandatory Credit: Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports /

9. 2008-09 (27-8, 14-2 Big 12)

This was, arguably, the most fun team that Self has ever had in Lawrence. It isn’t often that a Bill Self team plays underdog, yet this team found themselves doing so for a wide majority of the season.

After returning just one rotation player (Sherron Collins) from the previous season’s national championship team, the Jayhawks found themselves ranked just 24th in the preseason, and even fell out of the rankings from mid-December to early February.

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The Hawks breezed through Big 12 play, undefeated until losing in Columbia to Mizzou on a buzzer-beater by Zaire Taylor. Normally, just one loss would still be good enough for a comfortable cushion in the standings, but Oklahoma had one of the best seasons in the history of their program, led by Blake Griffin.

But of course, you don’t win 12 straight of anything without a stroke of luck. Blake Griffin went down with an injury on February 21 against Texas, giving Oklahoma their first loss, and sidelining Griffin for next Monday’s showdown with Kansas.

And in that game, Collins put this team on his back, as he did for the entire year. He had 26 points, as did then-freshman point guard Tyshawn Taylor, and they pulled off a victory on the road against the number three team in the nation, giving them a one game lead in the conference standings. Kansas would go on to lose one more game to Texas Tech, but it was moot, as Oklahoma would drop one more game to Mizzou with Griffin back in the lineup.

Collins averaged 19 points and 5 assists per game, arguably the best season of any player during the Self era. Cole Aldrich was fantastic as a second-option, giving the Jayhawks a reliable scoring option in the post, and anchoring their defense. This team would unfortunately lose in the Sweet 16 to eventual national runner-ups, Michigan State.

Next: 2012-13

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