Bill Self and the Kansas Jayhawks can now call themselves Big 12 conference champions for the 12th consecutive time after a win over Texas Tech on Saturday.
Kansas wins 12th consecutive Big 12 title under Bill Self
The Jayhawks have earned at least a share of the Big 12 title for the 12th straight year.
Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
In a year when the Big 12 was as competitive as ever, Self has become the first coach ever to win 12 straight regular season conference titles with the same team. UCLA won 13 straight in the 1960s and 70s, but John Wooden only coached the Bruins for nine of those seasons. Kansas’ streak includes a 95-5 record at home. Three times, the Jayhawks have been forced to replace all five starters from the season before.
Kansas’ streak also includes 13 five-star recruits (per 247 Sports), 19 NBA draft picks, two Final Fours and an NCAA tournament championship. There’s no question the Jayhawks are now up there with the heavy hitters like Duke, Kentucky and North Carolina as one of the elite programs in the country.
Here’s a snapshot of how Kansas has built their championship teams the last 12 seasons:
The last time Kansas did not win at least a share of the Big 12 regular season title was Bill Self’s first at the school, when Oklahoma State claimed it. There simply hasn’t been a whole lot of disappointment under Self, whose Kansas teams have won 377 of 459 games since he took over. Kansas hit No. 1 in the AP polls in five different seasons and never finished lower than No. 16.
Most impressive may be the balance his teams have shown.
He’s coached a 20 points-per-game player just once (Wayne Simien) during his first season. His pair of Final Four appearances have come behind lineups with three or four players averaging double-digit points, and his championship run came without a player taking more than 11 shots per game.
Though his recruiting classes have always been good, Self’s teams have rarely been assembled like powerhouses Duke and Kentucky. Kansas has had a top-five recruiting class, according to 247Sports ratings, twice under his tenure, and placed No. 12-16 four times.
On Saturday, it was sophomore Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk who did the heavy lifting, coming off the bench to score 17 points by making all five of his attempts from the three-point range. Frank Mason III added 15 points while Perry Ellis chipped in eight points to move the team to 25-4, 13-3 on the season.
See More:
