1956–57 Kansas Jayhawks men's basketball team

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. 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." Chamberlain averaged 29.6 points and 18.8 rebounds per game over the course of the season. In Kansas' opening game against Northwestern, he scored 52 points and compiled 31 rebounds in an 87–69 win. The Jayhawks won their next five games by at least 10 points each, and began the season with 12 consecutive victories. Following that streak, Iowa State defeated Kansas 39–37. Kansas lost one other game in the regular season, on February 20, 1957, against Oklahoma by a score of 56–54. 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, and a Big Seven record of 11–1.

In the first round of the NCAA tournament, Kansas faced SMU and was forced into an overtime period. Behind 36 points by Chamberlain, the Jayhawks won 73–65 to advance to the regional finals. There, the Jayhawks defeated Oklahoma City 81–61 to reach the Final Four. Chamberlain scored 30 points in the game, adding 15 rebounds. The two-time defending NCAA Tournament champions, San Francisco, faced Kansas in the Final Four's host site, Kansas City. With a field goal percentage of almost 60 percent, the Jayhawks posted an 80–56 win to advance to the championship game against undefeated North Carolina, the number one-ranked team in the country. The Tar Heels defeated the Jayhawks 54–53 in triple overtime; North Carolina's Joe Quigg made the tying and go-ahead free throws in the final seconds.

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

Schedule and results

Rankings

Main article: 1956–57 NCAA University Division men's basketball rankings

From the beginning of the season, the Jayhawks topped the Associated Press Poll, holding their position until mid-January. After the Jayhawks' loss to Iowa State, the team fell to number two in the poll. Kansas stayed in that position for the rest of the season. In the United Press Poll, the Jayhawks held the top overall ranking at the start of the season and remained there until the January 22 rankings, when they fell to second behind North Carolina. They stayed in that position in each subsequent poll during the season.

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. The film featured former Jayhawk basketball player Scot Pollard and Justin Wesley, who was on the roster at the time of the release. Additionally, Kansas alumni Jay Karnes portrays Chancellor Franklin Murphy.

References

References

1. "1956–57 Kansas Jayhawks Roster and Stats". Sports Reference LLC.
2. Chandler, John. (March 7, 1957). "Kansas Clinches Big 7 Title, Looks To Tourney". Times Daily.
3. Lopresti, Mike. (March 27, 2007). "Tar Heels' 1957 victory may be best NCAA title game ever". [[USA Today]].
4. Fulks, Matt. (2000). "CBS Sports Presents Stories From the Final Four". Taylor Trade Publishing.
5. Fulks, p. 20.
6. (December 4, 1956). "Wilt Scores 52 In Cage Opener". Kentucky New Era.
7. Johnson, Scott Morrow. (2016). "Phog: The Most Influential Man in Basketball". University of Nebraska Press.
8. "1956–57 Kansas Jayhawks Schedule and Results". Sports Reference LLC.
9. (January 15, 1957). "Top Rating Kiss of Death To Kansas?". The Milwaukee Sentinel.
10. (February 21, 1957). "Stilt & Co. Fall To Aggies, 56–54". Sarasota Journal.
11. (March 19, 1957). "Jayhawkers' Status Up As Tourney Nears". The Times-News.
12. Morey, Earl. (March 23, 1957). "3/23/57 – K.U. in Dream Clash With Tar Heel Quint". Lawrence Journal-World.
13. (2014). "Year-by-Year Results". University of Kansas.
14. (2009). "ESPN College Basketball Encyclopedia: The Complete History of the Men's Game". [[Random House]].
15. Melin, Eric. (February 9, 2014). "'Jayhawkers' brings a legend back to life". Lawrence Journal-World.
16. (February 13, 2014). "Ex-KU Star Pollard Says of 'Jayhawkers': 'I'm a History Guy. And it Made Me Think.'". Fox Sports.
17. (July 26, 2012). "KU Grad Jay Karnes to Portray Former KU Chancellor Murphy in Feature Film". Kansas University.