Kansas Jayhawks

The University of Kansas basketball program is perhaps the most historic in all of college sports. After all, Dr. James Naismith himself -- the inventor of the game of "basket ball" -- was once KU's coach.

Team History

James Naismith joined the staff at the University of Kansas in 1898 -- six years after he first published the rules of a new sport he called "basket ball." He formed KU's first team, scheduling games against local amateur clubs and the like. In 1907, he hired one of his former players, Forrest C. Allen, to take over as coach.

"Phog" Allen, as he was known, would go on to become "The Father of Basketball Coaching," with a "coaching tree" that includes the likes of all-time greats Adolph Rupp and Dean Smith.

Allen would coach the Jayhawks for 39 seasons, winning two Helms Foundation Titles and one NCAA Tournament. He also had tremendous influence off the court; he was instrumental in creating the NCAA Tournament itself, pushed to make basketball an official Olympic sport, and coached the United States' gold medal winners in 1952.

The Jayhawks continued to field competitive teams and attract star players -- most notably, Wilt Chamberlain -- after Allen's retirement in 1956. But they wouldn't win another title for decades.

In 1988 the Jayhawks, under coach Larry Brown, entered the NCAA Tournament as a six seed. But led by forward Danny Manning, the Jayhawks went on a run through March Madness, and beat heavily favored conference rival Oklahoma in the championship game.

Brown left after that season to take a job with the NBA's San Antonio Spurs, and Roy Williams -- then an assistant to Dean Smith at North Carolina -- took over. Williams' teams were contenders -- reaching four Final Fours and two championship games -- but a national title wasn't in the cards. Williams left KU after his second loss in the title game, taking the head coaching job at UNC.

Williams was replaced by Bill Self. Under Self, the Jayhawks have been one of the top teams in Division I, winning five Big 12 regular-season titles, three Big 12 Tournaments, and the National Championship in 2008. Five members of that team -- Darrell Arthur, Mario Chalmers, Darnell Jackson, Sasha Kaun and Brandon Rush -- were selected in the 2008 NBA Draft, tying the record for most players from one school in a single draft.

Self's 2009-10 team has the look of a championship contender, with talented players like Sherron Collins and Cole Aldrich back in the fold and an outstanding incoming class featuring guard Xavier Henry.

Home Court

Name: Allen Fieldhouse - named for coach Phog Allen
Opened: 1955
Seating Capacity: 16,300

Retired Numbers

Note: KU retires the jerseys of honored players, but not the jersey numbers.

• 0: Drew Gooden
• 4: Nick Collison
• 5: Fred Pralle
• 5: Howard "Rope" Engleman
• 7: Tusten Ackerman
• 8: Charlie T. Black
• 10: Charlie B. Black
• 10: Kirk Hinrich
• 11: Jacque Vaughn
• 12: Paul Endacott
• 13: Wilt Chamberlain
• 13: Walt Wesley
• 14: Darnell Valentine
• 15: Ray Evans
• 15: Jo Jo White
• 15: Bud Stallworth
• 16: Clyde Lovellette
• 23: B.H. Born
• 25: Danny Manning
• 26: Gale Gordon
• 32: Bill Bridges
• 34: Paul Pierce
• 36: Al Peterson
• 40: Dave Robisch
• 45: Raef LaFrentz
• 60: Max Falkenstein (announcer)

Head Coaches

Dr. James Naismith (1898-1907)
Dr. Forrest C. "Phog" Allen (1907-09)
William Hamilton (1909-19)
Dr. Forrest C. "Phog" Allen (1919-56)
Dick Harp (1956-64)
Ted Owens (1964-83)
Larry Brown (1983-88)
Roy Williams (1988-2003)
Bill Self (2003-present)

Kansas Jayhawks Fast Facts

Location: Lawrence, KS (map)
Coach: Bill Self

History/Records:

• All-Time Won/Loss Records
• NCAA Tournament History
• NCAA Tournament Championships: 3 (1952, 1988, 2008)
• NBA/ABA Players from Kansas

For more information: Kansas Jayhawks Official Website

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Sports Nutrition at Kansas

Anyone that's ever downed an ice-cold Gatorade has experienced the connection between sports nutrition science and college athletics. The field has expanded far beyond keeping players hydrated; some elite programs like the newly-crowned NCAA basketball champion Kansas Jayhawks employ full-time nutritionists to help keep their student athletes in peak condition.

In an e-mail interview, Kansas sports nutritionist Randy Bird talked about the role of a sports nutritionist in college athletics and shared some tips for aspiring coaches and athletes.

Q: Please describe, in general terms, the role of a Sports Nutritionist, with some detail on how you work with the various Jayhawk teams.

A: Sports nutritionists at the collegiate level are generally responsible for nutrition education for teams and individual athletes concerned with lean muscle gain, fat loss, and performance improvement.

I also provide assistance with menu planning for our training table, where our scholarship athletes eat, as well as for pre and post-competition meals.

I perform all body composition testing and analysis, and I also evaluate the safety, legality, and efficacy of nutritional supplements.

Q: How big is the focus on sports nutrition at Kansas? Do you concentrate on specific athletes and their specific needs or a general focus on maximizing performance or both?

A: There is a big focus on sports nutrition at Kansas. I believe our athletes and staff are definitely open to and enthusiastic about the benefits that proper nutrition can offer them. I work with the entire athletic department and see a variety of issues, so I have to focus on both the individual athlete and maximizing performance as a whole. I will give educational talks to teams as a whole, typically at the start of a season. I meet with individual athletes on a daily basis to address a variety concerns, whether it be gaining lean muscle mass, or using nutrition to aid in recovery from an injury.

Q: When I was in college in the early nineties, the closest thing we had to a sports nutrition program was "the athletes get unlimited meal plans as part of their scholarships." How many college programs use sports nutritionists these days? Is it a major advantage for Kansas? Or is it necessary now for any program that wants to "keep up?"

A: Having a sports nutritionist is a major advantage for Kansas. Currently out of 119 schools that are Division 1A in football, only about 17 employ a full-time Sports Nutritionist and a handful of others employ someone part-time.

In my opinion, this is an indictment against those schools that choose not to. They are not only missing out on a great opportunity to improve their athletic programs, but they are failing to provide a necessary service to their student-athletes. More schools are seeing the value of sports nutritionists, but we have a long way to go.

The Big 12 is especially poorly represented; only KU, Nebraska, and Texas A&M have a full-time sports nutritionist.

Q: Do you have any specific "success stories" you can share?

I have many success stories, but these two examples of tremendous fat loss are ones that I (and he athletes themselves) am particularly proud of. One offensive lineman from the football team I worked with lost 27 pounds of fat, while gaining three pounds of muscle over the course of a semester. I analyzed his diet and we met on a weekly basis to monitor progress.

I had similar results with a pitcher on the baseball team. He lost 30 pounds of fat and gained two pounds of muscle.

These two athletes are great examples of how paying attention to what you put in your body will enhance the results you see from your workout.

Q: What do KU ballplayers eat the night before a big game? What about game day?

A: This completely depends on the sport. For basketball, the meals for the night before and pre-game are very similar. I generally have 2 meat options (chicken and a lean beef choice), a pasta dish, potatoes, vegetables, salad, and fruit. Drinks would include: Skim milk, 100% fruit juice, Gatorade, and water.

So for example, a Jayhawk basketball player might eat the following at their pregame meal: a 6oz piece of lemon chicken, a side of baked ziti, a baked potato, a small green salad with Italian dressing, a banana, 12oz of skim milk and 12oz of apple juice. I try to give our athletes a variety of healthy choices at their meals. The focus of the meal is on getting plenty of high quality carbohydrates with a source of lean protein.

Here's one option: Homemade Chili

Q: The Jayhawks' high-energy play -- particularly on defense -- was a major key to the championship run, especially in the first half against Carolina and during the comeback in the final game. How much credit are you taking for that? (That's intended to be a tongue-in-cheek question, but only slightly.)

A: I’d like to think I have a little something to do with all of our athletic teams’ performance, but I will give our guys all the credit for that awesome comeback!

But seriously, how the players take care of themselves nutritionally on a daily basis is directly related to their performance. Proper nutrition and hydration will give them:

1. More energy to train and compete
2. Faster recovery from training and competitions
3. Less down time due to illness and injury

So, taking care of themselves nutritionally allowed the basketball team to see maximal results from the hard work they put in all season.

The meals for our guys were designed to provide the most readily available energy for the game. This, in combination with our hydration strategies, gives our guys the energy they need for the entire game as well as overtime.

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