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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 8, 2016; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Brooklyn Nets forward Thomas Robinson (41) against Denver Nuggets center Joffrey Lauvergne (77) during the 1st half at Barclays Center. The Nets won, 105-104. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 8, 2016; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Brooklyn Nets forward Thomas Robinson (41) against Denver Nuggets center Joffrey Lauvergne (77) during the 1st half at Barclays Center. The Nets won, 105-104. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports /

5. 2011-12 (32-7, 16-2 Big 12)

The 2011-12 season is probably the most memorable season in recent memory for many Jayhawk fans. It not only was the final season of the Border War rivalry with Missouri, but also a Final Four season, and an appearance in the National Championship game.

But expectations started very low for this team. They lost four starters from the previous season (the Morris twins, Tyrel Reed, and Brady Morningstar), and they were going to be relying on immense improvement from both Thomas Robinson and Tyshawn Taylor.

And boy, did they improve. Robinson was an All-American, and contender for National Player of the Year, and may have won it if it wasn’t for that Anthony Davis guy. He averaged 17 points and 11 rebounds per game, and is one of just eight players in Big 12 history to accomplish the feat (the others: Kevin Durant, Michael Beasley, Blake Griffin, Drew Gooden, Raef LaFrentz, Wayne Simien, Tony Battie. Pretty good company) (via sports-reference.com).

Taylor should have been an All-American, averaging 16 points and four assists per game. That was ratcheted up to 18 points per game in conference play, on over 50% from the floor.

Considering the rest of the supporting cast, this has to be considered Bill Self’s best coaching job. Elijah Johnson, the team’s starting shooting guard, was an unproven player who was struggling to shoot, 30% from three on the season, until a hot streak in March.

Travis Releford was a redshirt junior who had barely played 300 minutes of college basketball prior to the season, and while he was usually good for 8-10 points per game, was primarily a perimeter defender.

And Jeff Withey was a transfer from Arizona who had barely played 200 minutes of college basketball prior to the season, yet would go on to break the Final Four block record, with 11, in the same Final Four as Anthony Davis.

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It gets even better: the three rotation players that came off of the bench were former walk-on Conner Teahan, and two junior college transfers, Kevin Young and Justin Wesley.

But anyway, the team ended up winning the conference by a couple of games in what was a pretty good year for the Big 12 (six tourney teams, with both Baylor and Kansas making deep runs).

This Big 12 season will always be remembered for their two epic, final showdowns with Mizzou. The first of which happened at Mizzou, when Marcus Denmon completely ripped the Jayhawks’ hearts out, with nine straight points in about one minute or so to erase an eight point deficit and give Mizzou a 74-71 victory.

In what might be a bit more memorable to Kansas fans was the second matchup, at Allen Fieldhouse, when they erased an 18 point second half deficit to win in OT, and clinched their eighth straight Big 12 title, winning 87-86. Thomas Robinson’s game-saving block on Phil Pressey at the end of regulation is still shown before every Kansas home game.

Next: 2015-16

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