The 1987–88 Kansas Jayhawks men's basketball team represented the
University of Kansas
The University of Kansas (KU) is a public research university with its main campus in Lawrence, Kansas, United States, and several satellite campuses, research and educational centers, medical centers, and classes across the state of Kansas. Tw ...
for the
NCAA
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...
Division I men's
intercollegiate basketball season of 1987–1988. The team won the 1987–1988
NCAA Division I men's basketball championship
The NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, branded as NCAA March Madness and commonly called March Madness, is a single-elimination tournament played each spring in the United States, currently featuring 68 college basketball teams from ...
, the second in the school's history. They were led by
Larry Brown in his fifth and final season as head coach. Their star player,
Danny Manning
Daniel Ricardo Manning (born May 17, 1966) is an American college basketball coach and former professional player who is the Associate Head Mens Basketball Coach at the University of Louisville. Manning played high school basketball at Walter Hin ...
, earned the team the nickname "Danny and the Miracles" because of the Jayhawks' improbable tournament run after an 11-loss season, the most ever by a national champion. The team played its home games in
Allen Fieldhouse
Allen Fieldhouse is an indoor arena on the University of Kansas campus in Lawrence, Kansas. It is home of the Kansas Jayhawks men's and women's basketball teams. The arena is named after Phog Allen, a former player and head coach for the Jayhaw ...
in
Lawrence, Kansas
Lawrence is the county seat of Douglas County, Kansas, Douglas County, Kansas, United States, and the sixth-largest city in the state. It is in the northeastern sector of the state, astride Interstate 70, between the Kansas River, Kansas and Waka ...
. In the last three games of the NCAA tournament, the Jayhawks avenged their three home losses to Kansas State, Duke, and Oklahoma.
This season also marked the creation by a group of KU students of the now famous "Beware of THE PHOG" banner. It was first displayed for the Duke game on February 20, 1988 and then again for that season's final home game on March 5, the Senior Night celebrations honoring Danny Manning and the other KU seniors, Archie Marshall and Chris Piper. It came down after that, and the students gave the banner to Phog Allen's granddaughter Judy Morris. Morris told Kansas Assistant Athletic Director Floyd Temple she thought the banner should remain a fixture in Allen Fieldhouse, and Temple agreed.
Roster
Schedule
, -
!colspan=9 style=, Regular Season
, -
!colspan=9 style=, Big 8 Tournament
, -
!colspan=9 style=, NCAA Tournament
Rankings
Awards and honors
* Larry Brown,
Naismith College Coach of the Year
Naismith College Coach of the Year Award is an award given by the Atlanta Tipoff Club to one men's and one women's NCAA Division I collegiate coach each season since 1987. The award was originally given to the two winning coaches of the NCAA Divis ...
*
Danny Manning
Daniel Ricardo Manning (born May 17, 1966) is an American college basketball coach and former professional player who is the Associate Head Mens Basketball Coach at the University of Louisville. Manning played high school basketball at Walter Hin ...
,
NCAA Men's MOP Award
* Danny Manning,
Naismith College Player of the Year
The Naismith College Player of the Year is an annual basketball award given by the Atlanta Tipoff Club to the top men's and women's collegiate basketball players. It is named in honor of Dr. James Naismith, the inventor of basketball.
History an ...
* Danny Manning,
John R. Wooden Award
The John R. Wooden Award is an award given annually to the most outstanding men's and women's college basketball players. The program consists of the men's and women's Player of the Year awards, the Legends of Coaching award, and recognizing the ...
Team players drafted into the NBA
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:1987-88 Kansas Jayhawks men's basketball team
Kansas Jayhawks men's basketball seasons
Kansas
Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the ...
NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament championship seasons
NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament Final Four seasons
Kansas
Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the ...
Kansas Jay
Kansas Jay