NCAA Basketball: Top 10 programs that can be called ‘Big Man U’
By Amaar Burton
2. NCAA Basketball “Big Man U” programs – Kansas Jayhawks
Wilt Chamberlain and Danny Manning. You can stop there and Kansas has a decent argument to be considered “Big Man U.”
Chamberlain is heavily in the debates over who is the greatest big man in basketball history and the greatest player in history, period. He is arguably the greatest scorer of all time, and at Kansas — where he was also a track and field star — the 7’1″ giant was a consensus All-America in each of his two seasons, averaging 29.9 points and 18.3 rebounds per game.
Chamberlain led the Jayhawks to the national title game in 1957, and even though KU lost to North Carolina, Chamberlain was voted Final Four MOP. His numbers in college would’ve been better if opponents hadn’t regularly used slow-down tactics against Kansas in the era before the shot clock.
Danny Manning delivered the national championship to KU that Chamberlain could not.
In 1988, the 6’10” power forward won his third straight Big Eight Player of the Year award, earned consensus All-America first-team honors for the second time, won the Naismith and Wooden awards for national player of the year, and led the Jayhawks to a national title while taking Final Four MOP honors.
Manning averaged 20.1 points, 8.1 rebounds and 1.7 steals per game in four years at Kansas, then went on to an All-Star NBA career after being picked No. 1 in the 1988 draft.
Kansas has plenty more great big men beyond Chamberlain and Manning, though.
After his playing days were over, Manning became a coach. He was an assistant on Kansas’ 2008 national title team. That squad featured all-conference power forward Darrell Arthur, who put up a team-high 20 points and 10 rebounds in the championship game victory over Memphis.
Joel Embiid missed his chance to win a championship at Kansas when a back injury sidelined him for the 2014 postseason. The 7-foot center, who was the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year as a freshman, went pro and was the No. 3 pick in the NBA draft.
After foot injuries caused him to sit out two whole seasons prior to his pro debut, Embiid has developed into arguably the best center in the NBA today.
Nick Collison was the consummate NBA role player, but before that, he was a superstar big man at Kansas. He was voted NABC Player of the Year, Big 12 Player of the Year, and consensus first-team All-America in 2003, when he led KU to the national title game (they lost to Syracuse).
Raef LaFrentz was a two-time Big 12 Player of the Year in 1997 and 1998 and finished school ranked second behind Manning in career points and rebounds.
From their days in the Big Eight to the Big 12, Kansas has a lineage of big men who won conference player of the year. In addition to the aforementioned winners, the list includes Dave Robisch, Drew Gooden, Wayne Simien, Marcus Morris, Thomas Robinson, and Udoka Azubuike.
Other notables: Clyde Lovellette, Markieff Morris, Perry Ellis, Walt Wesley, Cole Aldrich, Jeff Withey