The Kansas Jayhawks are one of college basketball’s most successful teams of all-time, ranking second in overall wins at 2,393.
Coach Bill Self’s team in the past 10 years has lived up to that blue blood reputation, with one national title in 2022, two trips to the Final Four, four to the Elite Eight and five to the Sweet 16. During the 2020 season that ended prematurely because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Kansas was 28-3 and ranked No. 1 in the final Associated Press poll. In the last few years, all that success has also boosted Kansas sports betting.
Utilizing Sports-Reference.com, BetKansas.com picked the Jayhawks’ team of the past decade (2014-15 to now). The players included had to have played for the Jayhawks during this time, and the team is based on a combination of Player Efficiency Rating and Win Shares during those years.
Kansas Jayhawks Men’s Basketball Team of Last Decade: 2014-2024
Kansas sports betting apps list Kansas and Duke as the two closest contenders to UConn’s chase for a third straight title at +1100 odds. UConn is the favorite at +1000.
Pretty Strong Starting Five
The Jayhawks’ top players from the past 10 years include two from that 2022 national champion with forwards Jalen Wilson and David McCormack, who’s combined PER and Win Shares were 32.3 and 36.1, respectively.
The 2022 national championship team finished 34-6, winning its final 11 games. Kansas knocked off Villanova and North Carolina at the Final Four in the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans.
The guards with the highest combination of PER and Win Shares are Frank Mason III and Devonte’ Graham. Mason, who left school after three seasons, made it to the Sweet 16 each year and played in two regional finals. Graham stayed for his senior season, leading Kansas to the Final Four after an 85-81 overtime victory over Duke in the regional final. The Jayhawks finished 31-8 after a 95-79 national semifinal loss to eventual national champion Villanova at the Alamodome in San Antonio.
Udoka Azubuike ranks as the top center from the past 10 years, and he has the highest combination of those two stats at 40.5. Like Graham, Azubuike stayed all four years and had hopes of leading the Jayhawks to a title before the pandemic ended the 2020 season. Azubuike averaged a double-double that year at 13.7 points and 10.5 rebounds. All five are still playing professionally.
Graham, currently with the San Antonio Spurs, is in his sixth NBA season and has a career average of 11.1 points and 4.3 assists. He was a second-round pick in 2018 and also has played for the Charlotte Hornets and New Orleans Pelicans. Wilson, a rookie second-round pick in 2023 with the Brooklyn Nets, averages 4.8 points through 40 games played.
Azubuike, a first-round pick by the Utah Jazz in 2020, is in his first season with the Phoenix Suns. He has career averages of 3.0 points and 2.8 rebounds. BetMGM Kansas lists the Suns as +1800 to win the NBA title. Mason was a second-round pick by the Sacramento Kings in 2017, but he hasn’t played in the NBA since four games with the Orlando Magic in 2020-21. He’s averaging 15.5 points and 5.1 assists through 21 games this season with SLUC Nancy Basket in France.
McCormack hasn’t played in the NBA but has played for three teams the past two seasons in Turkey. He’s averaged 14.5 points and 7.9 rebounds in 14 games this season for Galatasaray.
USA Today photo by Vincent Carchietta.
