Top 10 Home Wins for Kansas during “The Streak”

It’s common knowledge in Lawrence that the Kansas Jayhawks have won 12 straight Big 12 titles. Consistently replacing talent is important, but the main reason KU has been able to finish at the top of the league year after year is because the Jayhawks have something none of their competitors have: a dominant home-court advantage.

Over the last 12 years, the Jayhawks are an incredible 193-8 at Allen Fieldhouse. Those 193 wins consist of blowouts, upsets, incredible comebacks, and historic individual performances. After much research, here is a list of the 10 best wins for the Jayhawks during the 12-year run of “The Streak.”

Bonus! 11. USC at No. 3 Kansas – December 18, 2010

The tenth game of the 2010-11 season for Kansas would mark the debut of five-star freshman Josh Selby, whom had been suspended for the team’s first nine contests. Despite the fact that Kansas was a heavy favorite, the upset-minded Trojans battled until the very end. Selby, in his first collegiate game, came off the bench to score 21 points, including five three-pointers. However, it was the last of his baskets that proved to be the biggest. With his team trailing 68-67 with 0:26 remaining, Selby drained a three to give Kansas a narrow win. Final: Kansas 70, USC 68

10. No. 9 Oklahoma State at No. 15 Kansas – January 18, 2014

After a 2013 win at Allen Fieldhouse, Oklahoma State point guard Marcus Smart celebrated with a backflip on the Jayhawk at center court. The 2014 battle would be Smart’s first time in Lawrence since the infamous flip, and KU fans didn’t forget it as boos rained down on Smart all afternoon. There was plenty of emotion in this battle of top 15 teams, as the Cowboys and Jayhawks combined for a whopping seven technical fouls. KU led by 17 at halftime, but the Cowboys battled back, ultimately missing a potential game-winning three as time ran out. Naadir Tharpe led the way for Kansas with 21 points and six assists, while Smart was held to just 3-of-14 from the floor. Final: Kansas 80, Oklahoma State 78

9. Iowa State at No. 6 Kansas – January 9, 2013

2013 was one of the rare occasions where a Big 12 championship was in doubt for awhile, as the Jayhawks wound up tying for the conference crown with Kansas State. However, the streak would have ended at eight in a row had Ben McLemore not resurrected his Jayhawks from the dead with a miraculous, banked-in three-pointer that tied this contest at 79 with less than two seconds remaining. Kansas eventually pulled away from a game Iowa State team in overtime, and McLemore finished with a career-high 33 points on 10-of-12 from the floor, including a perfect 6-for-6 from three-point range. Final: Kansas 97, Iowa State 89 (OT)

8. No. 18 Oklahoma at Kansas – February 5, 2006

The 2005-06 Jayhawks struggled out of the gates, accumulating six losses by mid-January. However, Kansas eventually caught fire, winning 10 straight league games to clinch a share of its second straight Big 12 crown. KU was tied with Oklahoma in the Phog with 1:00 left, when Brandon Rush threw an alley-oop to Julian Wright to give the Jayhawks a two-point lead. Following an Oklahoma three-pointer, Mario Chalmers hit a teardrop floater with just 19 seconds left, and Rush blocked a game-tying attempt on the other end as time expired. Final: Kansas 59, Oklahoma 58

7. No. 20 Kentucky at No. 4 Kansas – January 30, 2016

The two winningest programs in college basketball history collided with the Jayhawks in a tailspin. Kansas had lost three out of five, and it found itself in a dogfight with a team that controlled most of the game. In front of arguably the loudest crowd in Allen Fieldhouse history, Wayne Selden Jr. had the game of his life, scoring 33 points and making a whopping 12 field goals. The game went to overtime, and Selden set the tone with a posterizing dunk over top freshman Skal Labissiere. On a night when Perry Ellis was off and the whole team couldn’t make free throws, Selden came alive to start an eventual 17-game winning streak for KU. Final: Kansas 90, Kentucky 84 (OT)

6. No. 9 Georgia Tech at No. 2 Kansas – January 1, 2005

The Georgie Tech Yellowjackets ended KU’s season in the Elite Eight in 2004, and nine months later, the two collided for a non-conference tilt as top 10 teams. Just like the regional final, the contest went to overtime, and Keith Langford hit a floater with three seconds left that allowed KU to preserve its perfect season. The Jayhawks knocked off a top 10 team without leading scorer Wayne Simien, who was out due to a thumb injury, and Langford scored 16 of his 18 points after halftime. Final: Kansas 70, Georgia Tech 68 (OT)

5. No. 4 Oklahoma State at No. 7 Kansas – February 27, 2005

In order to collect the first championship in Kansas’ eventual run of 12, the Jayhawks needed to defeat a top 5 Oklahoma State team in Allen Fieldhouse. Wayne Simien led the way with 32 points and 12 rebounds, while the Jayhawks as a team shot a sizzling 66% from the floor. The high-paced shootout was capped when Aaron Miles hit a layup with 37 seconds remaining, giving the Jayhawks a narrow victory. Final: Kansas 81, Oklahoma State 79

4. No. 20 West Virginia at No. 9 Kansas – March 3, 2015

Needing a victory to clinch the Big 12 title outright, the Jayhawks found themselves down by 18 points in the second half to West Virginia. Slowly, Kansas climbed back into a game without Perry Ellis or Cliff Alexander, as Frank Mason III scored 19 points in 42 minutes of play. Somehow, Bill Self’s team put together an 18-point comeback, the second largest in the history of Allen Fieldhouse, to send the game into overtime. From there, a Jamari Traylor slam and stifling defense on the West Virginia backcourt sealed KU’s 32nd straight Senior Night victory. Final: Kansas 76, West Virginia 69 (OT)

3. No. 15 Texas at No. 3 Kansas – March 3, 2007

Kevin Durant, the best player in college basketball, brought his Longhorns into Allen Fieldhouse and had the best performance of his career. Bill Self constantly states that despite the fact two future lottery picks (Julian Wright and Brandon Rush) were guarding him, Durant still poured in 25 first-half points. Texas led by 12 at the break, but a power surge from Kansas tipped the scales in this heavyweight shootout. Prior to the Buddy Hield game, Durant’s 32 point-performance was regarded as arguably the top performance by a visitor in Allen Fieldhouse history. In the end, it was Mario Chalmers (21 points), Wright (17), and Rush (17) that led Kansas to a 90-86 victory, clinching a third straight Big 12 title. Final: Kansas 90, Texas 86

2. No. 2 Oklahoma at No. 1 Kansas – January 4, 2016

The nation’s top two teams met on Big Monday for first place in the Big 12, and the game managed to exceed immense hype. The crowd was loud, and the performances were legendary, such as Buddy Hield’s 46 points – the most ever by a visiting player at Allen Fieldhouse. The back-and-forth affair needed three overtimes to decide a victor, as Perry Ellis’ 27 points and Wayne Selden’s 22 allowed the Jayhawks to squeak by with a win. Ellis and Frank Mason III played 53 minutes apiece, and the marathon contest featured a combined 182 shots. Final: Kansas 109, Oklahoma 106 (3OT)

1. No. 3 Missouri at No. 4 Kansas – February 25, 2012

Kansas and Missouri met for what would be the final-ever “Border War” game, as after 267 meetings as conference foes, the Tigers left the Big 12 at the conclusion of the year. An emotion-charged effort was upped by Missouri early, as the Tigers opened up a 19-point lead in the middle of the second half. Thomas Robinson (28 points) and Tyshawn Taylor (24) willed KU back to the largest comeback in Allen Fieldhouse history. There were so many memorable moments that came out of this game: Robinson’s block that sent the contest to overtime, Taylor’s two free throws to put KU ahead with eight seconds left, and Marcus Denmon not getting a shot off before the final horn. In the end, Kansas got exactly what it wanted, and Missouri let a fabulous opportunity slip right through its fingers. Final: Kansas 87, Missouri 86 (OT)

Ryan Landreth is the lead writer for Rock Chalk Blog. View his archive, or follow his Twitter.