Hmm, there are a lot of options to fuel that debate! I dug into the archives and decided to make this as fact-based as possible using the following criteria (in no particular order):
- Where does the player rank on all-time scoring, assists and steals lists at Kansas? To a lesser degree, where do they rank on the all-time three-point list? (The caveat on this latter criteria is that guys like Jo Jo White and Darnell Valentine, who both played prior to 1986-87, did not have a three-point line to beef up their scoring totals.)
- Did the player reach a Final Four?
- Did the player reach a National Championship game?
- Was the player on a team that won a National Championship?
- Postseason honors, e.g., All-Conference, All-American
- And, of course, the intangibles - did the player have a propensity to make the big shot, the game-changing steal, etc.
Here (drumroll please) is the list - the best Kansas Jayhawk guards in the modern college basketball era.
1. Sherron Collins. Collins was a two-time All-American, engineered one of KU's greatest comebacks ever (versus Texas in the 2007 championship game of the Big 12 Tournament in Oklahoma City) and arguably hit the second most important shot in recent Kansas history with his three during the comeback in San Antonio over Memphis in 2008. Collins also made the huge steal versus Memphis that led to his three-point shot. And, he's been acknowledged as perhaps the best team leader in the Bill Self era. Collins won a national championship in '08 and is the all-time leading scorer for guards in KU's illustrious basketball history.
2. Mario Chalmers. The shot. Mario's Miracle. While known for making the biggest shot in Kansas history in the 2008 national championship game, he had his share of other huge games and shots during his three years at Kansas. He had huge games versus Texas in the conference tournament championship games in 2006 and 2008; he's second all-time on the steals list and seventh on the three-point list. His jersey hangs in the Allen Fieldhouse rafters.
3. Jo Jo White. White was an All-American at Kansas and is in the Naismith Hall of Fame. He had a short career at Kansas, given his transfer status, where he led the team in scoring in 1968. He was part of perhaps the biggest heartbreak story in KU history when the Jayhawks lost to Texas Western in a regional final in 1966. (White made a game winning shot but it was ruled that his foot was out of bounds prior to the basket.) His jersey hangs not only in the Phog but also in Boston Garden.
4. Darnell Valentine. The only thing Valentine didn't do was go to a Final Four. He led the team in scoring for three years, is KU's all-time free throw leader, is the school's all-time steals leader and is fifth in assists. He was a four-time all-Big 8 selection and an All-American. He only trails Collins for most points by a guard at Kansas (in an era with no three-point line) and his jersey also hangs in the fieldhouse. One more thing - the guy was an Academic All-American.
5. Kirk Hinrich. Two Final Fours, could play both point guard and off guard, was a terrific defender, and had a late game block in 2003 against Arizona that was the deciding play in the West Regional Final. Hinrich is third in all-time three pointers, fourth in assists and sixth in steals. He ranks third in all-time scoring by a guard at Kansas.
6. Frank Mason. Mason is sixth, with a bullet, on this list and is the only guy in this esteemed group who has his own Twitter hashtag (#BIFM.) He may end up as Kansas' first consensus Player of the Year in the modern era and will certainly be a consensus first team All-American for this season. Lightly recruited, Mason shares many of the same leadership and will-to-win qualities as the guy who's number one on this list.
7. Jacque Vaughn. This Academic All-American was the best leader of the Roy Williams era at Kansas. He's second all-time in assists, an All-American and a great on ball defender. Sadly, Vaughn never made a Final Four.
8. Kevin Pritchard. Pritchard may be a surprise at number eight but consider this - he's fourth in all-time scoring by Kansas guards, led the team in scoring in 1990, is 12th all-time in three-pointers and has a national championship (1988). That's not a bad resume.
9. Tyshawn Taylor. An under-appreciated guard given his sometimes loony off-court behavior, Taylor was an incredibly athletic guard who was a very good on-ball defender. He could, at times, take over a game offensively given his ability to get to the rim and finish. He turned into a very good shooter by the end of his career and, with Thomas Robinson, led his team to the national championship game in 2012. He's sixth all-time in assists and fifth all-time in points by a guard.
10. Aaron Miles. Miles it the best assist man on this list and is third all-time in steals at Kansas. And, he went to two Final Fours.
11. Rex Walters. A deadly shooter and a guy who loved taking the big shot. Walters isn't as good a defender as others on this list; went to a Final Four in 1993.
12. Adonis Jordan. Walters' partner-in-crime and the guy who sports the best name on this list. He's sixth all-time in points by KU guards and eighth in three-pointers. He went to Final Fours in 1991 and 1993.
There you have it - the best dozen guards in Kansas history since the mid-1960s. Who did I leave off? How about guys like Wayne Selden, Dale Greenlee, Tony Guy, Tom Kivisto, Jeff Boschee, Elijah Johnson, Jerod Haase and Calvin Thompson? Like I said, there's a lot of options here to discuss.
Discuss...
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