1956–57 Kansas Jayhawks men's basketball team
1956–57 Kansas Jayhawks men's basketball | |
---|---|
Big Seven Champions | |
NCAA tournament, National runner-up | |
Conference | Big Seven Conference |
Ranking | |
Coaches | No. 2 |
AP | No. 2[1] |
Record | 24–3 (11–1 Big Seven) |
Head coach |
|
Assistant coaches |
|
Captains |
|
Home arena | Allen Fieldhouse[1] |
Conf | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Team | W | L | PCT | W | L | PCT | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 2 Kansas | 11 | – | 1 | .917 | 24 | – | 3 | .889 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Kansas State | 8 | – | 4 | .667 | 15 | – | 8 | .652 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Iowa State | 6 | – | 6 | .500 | 16 | – | 7 | .696 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Colorado | 5 | – | 7 | .417 | 14 | – | 9 | .609 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Nebraska | 5 | – | 7 | .417 | 11 | – | 12 | .478 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Missouri | 4 | – | 8 | .333 | 10 | – | 13 | .435 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Oklahoma | 3 | – | 9 | .250 | 8 | – | 15 | .348 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rankings from AP Poll[2] |
The 1956–57 Kansas Jayhawks men's basketball team was a
Season summary
Dick Harp was named the head coach of the Jayhawks before the 1956–57 season. The previous coach, Phog Allen, had been forced to leave the program due to an enforced retirement age in place at the school.[6] The 1956–57 Jayhawks featured future National Basketball Association center Wilt Chamberlain, in his first season with the varsity program. Expectations for the team were high entering the season; Allen said of the Jayhawks' new player that "Anybody could win the national championship with Wilt Chamberlain and four cheerleaders."[7] Chamberlain averaged 29.6 points and 18.8 rebounds per game over the course of the season.[3] In Kansas' opening game against Northwestern, he scored 52 points and compiled 31 rebounds in an 87–69 win.[8] The Jayhawks won their next five games by at least 10 points each, and began the season with 12 consecutive victories.[9] Following that streak, Iowa State defeated Kansas 39–37.[1][10] Kansas lost one other game in the regular season, on February 20, 1957, against Oklahoma by a score of 56–54.[11] The Jayhawks wrapped up the Big Seven title, and an NCAA Tournament berth, with a 64–57 win over Kansas State on March 7. They ended the regular season with a record of 20–2,[4] and a Big Seven record of 11–1.[3]
In the first round of the NCAA tournament, Kansas faced
Roster
- Bob Billings
- Wilt Chamberlain
- John Cleland
- Eddie Dater
- Gene Elstun
- Joe Ensley
- Lee Green
- Blaine Hollinger
- Harry Jett
- Lew Johnson
- Monte Johnson
- Ron Johnston
- Larry Kelley
- Lyn Kindred
- Maurice King
- Ron Loneski
- John Parker
- Gary Thompson
Roster and schedule source:[14] |
Schedule and results
Date time, TV |
Rank# | Opponent# | Result | Record | Site city, state | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
December 3* |
Northwestern | W 87–69 | 1–0 |
Allen Fieldhouse Lawrence, KS | |||||||
December 8* |
Marquette | W 78–61 | 2–0 |
Allen Fieldhouse Lawrence, KS | |||||||
December 14* |
No. 1 | at Washington | W 77–63 | 3–0 |
Seattle, WA
| ||||||
December 15* |
No. 1 | at Washington | W 92–78 | 4–0 |
Bank of America Arena Seattle, WA | ||||||
December 18* |
No. 1 | at California | W 66–56 | 5–0 |
Harmon Gym Berkeley, CA | ||||||
December 22* |
No. 1 | Wisconsin | W 83–62 | 6–0 |
Allen Fieldhouse Lawrence, KS | ||||||
December 26 |
No. 1 | vs. No. 14 Iowa State | W 58–57 | 7–0 |
Municipal Auditorium Kansas City, MO | ||||||
December 28 |
No. 1 | vs. Oklahoma | W 74–56 | 8–0 |
Municipal Auditorium Kansas City, MO | ||||||
December 29 |
No. 1 | vs. Colorado | W 80–54 | 9–0 |
Municipal Auditorium Kansas City, MO | ||||||
January 5 |
No. 1 | Border War
|
W 92–79 | 10–0 (1–0) |
Allen Fieldhouse Lawrence, KS | ||||||
January 7* |
No. 1 | at Oklahoma | W 59–51 | 11–0 (2–0) |
Field House Norman, OK | ||||||
January 12 |
No. 1 | Kansas State Sunflower Showdown |
W 51–45 | 12–0 (3–0) |
Allen Fieldhouse Lawrence, KS | ||||||
January 14 |
No. 1 | at No. 7 Iowa State | L 37–39 | 12–1 (3–1) |
The Armory Ames, IA | ||||||
February 2 |
No. 2 | No. 8 Iowa State | W 75–64 | 13–1 (4–1) |
Allen Fieldhouse Lawrence, KS | ||||||
February 9 |
No. 2 | Nebraska | W 69–54 | 14–1 (5–1) |
Nebraska Coliseum Lincoln, NE | ||||||
February 12 |
No. 2 | Oklahoma A&M | W 62–52 | 15–1 |
Allen Fieldhouse Lawrence, KS | ||||||
February 16 |
No. 2 | at Missouri Border War |
W 91–58 | 16–1 (6–1) |
Brewer Fieldhouse Columbia, MO | ||||||
February 18 |
No. 2 | Oklahoma | W 76–56 | 17–1 (7–1) |
Allen Fieldhouse Lawrence, KS | ||||||
February 21 |
No. 2 | at Oklahoma A&M | L 54–56 | 17–2 |
Gallagher Hall Stillwater, OK | ||||||
February 23 |
No. 2 | Nebraska | W 87–60 | 18–2 (8–1) |
Allen Fieldhouse Lawrence, KS | ||||||
March 2 |
No. 2 | at Colorado | W 68–57 | 19–2 (9–1) |
Balch Fieldhouse Boulder, CO | ||||||
March 6 |
No. 2 | at Kansas State Sunflower Showdown |
W 64–57 | 20–2 (10–1) |
Ahearn Field House Manhattan, KS | ||||||
March 9 |
No. 2 | Colorado | W 78–63 | 21–2 (11–1) |
Allen Fieldhouse Lawrence, KS | ||||||
March 15* |
No. 2 | vs. No. 4 SMU NCAA regional semifinals |
W 73–65 OT | 22–2 |
Moody Coliseum University Park, TX | ||||||
March 16* |
No. 2 | vs. No. 9 Oklahoma City NCAA Regional Finals |
W 81–61 | 23–2 |
Moody Coliseum University Park, TX | ||||||
March 22* |
No. 2 | vs. San Francisco NCAA National semifinals |
W 80–56 | 24–2 |
Municipal Auditorium Kansas City, MO | ||||||
March 23* |
No. 2 | vs. No. 1 North Carolina National Championship game |
L 53–54 3OT | 24–3 |
Municipal Auditorium Kansas City, MO | ||||||
*Non-conference game. #Rankings from
AP Poll . (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. |
Rankings
From the beginning of the season, the Jayhawks topped the
In popular culture
The team, specifically starting center Wilt Chamberlain and coach Phog Allen, where the focus of the 2014 film Jayhawkers, which was directed by University of Kansas film professor Kevin Willmott.[16] The film featured former Jayhawk basketball player Scot Pollard and Justin Wesley, who was on the roster at the time of the release.[17] Additionally, Kansas alumni Jay Karnes portrays Chancellor Franklin Murphy.[18]
References
- ^ a b c d "1956–57 Kansas Jayhawks Schedule and Results". Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved October 26, 2014.
- ^ "1956–57 Big Seven Conference Season Summary". Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved August 21, 2020.
- ^ a b c d "1956–57 Kansas Jayhawks Roster and Stats". Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved December 31, 2019.
- ^ a b Chandler, John (March 7, 1957). "Kansas Clinches Big 7 Title, Looks To Tourney". Times Daily. Associated Press. Retrieved September 6, 2010.
- ^ a b Lopresti, Mike (March 27, 2007). "Tar Heels' 1957 victory may be best NCAA title game ever". USA Today. Retrieved September 6, 2010.
- ISBN 9781461703037.
- ^ Fulks, p. 20.
- ^ "Wilt Scores 52 In Cage Opener". Kentucky New Era. Associated Press. December 4, 1956. Retrieved September 6, 2010.
- ISBN 9780803285712.
- ^ "Top Rating Kiss of Death To Kansas?". The Milwaukee Sentinel. Associated Press. January 15, 1957. Retrieved September 6, 2010.
- ^ "Stilt & Co. Fall To Aggies, 56–54". Sarasota Journal. Associated Press. February 21, 1957. Retrieved September 6, 2010.
- ^ "Jayhawkers' Status Up As Tourney Nears". The Times-News. Associated Press. March 19, 1957. Retrieved September 6, 2010.
- ^ Morey, Earl (March 23, 1957). "3/23/57 – K.U. in Dream Clash With Tar Heel Quint". Lawrence Journal-World. Retrieved September 6, 2010.
- ^ Theisen, Chris; Bauer, Alissa, eds. (2014). "Year-by-Year Results" (PDF). Rock Chalk. University of Kansas: 200. Retrieved April 19, 2020.
- ISBN 978-0-345-51392-2.
- ^ Melin, Eric (February 9, 2014). "'Jayhawkers' brings a legend back to life". Lawrence Journal-World. Retrieved August 31, 2021.
- ^ "Ex-KU Star Pollard Says of 'Jayhawkers': 'I'm a History Guy. And it Made Me Think.'". Fox Sports. February 13, 2014. Retrieved August 31, 2021.
- ^ "KU Grad Jay Karnes to Portray Former KU Chancellor Murphy in Feature Film". Kansas University. July 26, 2012. Retrieved August 31, 2021.