Blair Kerkhoff: Ranking KU’s 13 straight Big 12 championship teams

One year, Kansas won’t win the Big 12 men’s basketball championship, but not this one.

Wednesday night’s 87-68 victory over TCU means KU adds another trophy to the case, and ring for the jewelry case. With 13 straight titles, coach Bill Self ran out of fingers years ago.

By the way, does this clinch first-ballot entry into the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame for Self? It should. We’ll know in April.

The Jayhawks clinched at least a share of first place, and one victory in their final three games means an outright championship.

Entering conference play, the streak appeared to have strong challengers. Baylor had gotten off to a terrific start and was No. 1 by early January.

West Virginia had moments like the 16-point victory over Kansas in Morgantown on Jan. 24 that suggested the Mountaineers could rise to the top.

But Kansas took down both challengers in remarkable fashion in their most recent meetings, overcoming a 14-point deficit with less than three minutes remaining to beat West Virginia in overtime at Lawrence.

Next, the Jayhawks scored the game’s final eight points and won by two at Baylor.

That set up the team’s first match point on Wednesday, won by KU.

Kansas has now equaled the 13 straight conference championships won by UCLA teams from 1967-1979, the longest run by a major college program.

The title totals for Kansas: 13 straight, 15 out of 16 and 17 in the 21-year history of the Big 12. It’s also 60 conference titles in 110 years of league play in the Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association, Big Six, Big Seven, Big Eight and Big 12. No program has more.

Here’s our ranking of KU’s 13 straight Big 12 championship teams from best to 13th-best, keeping in mind the final rating of this year’s Jayhawks could improve with a strong postseason.

1. 2007-08

1. Texas, 13-3

(tie) Kansas, 13-3

3. Kansas State, 10-6

It’s easy to forget, but the best Kansas team during the streak wasn’t even the top seed in the Big 12 Tournament. Texas was because it beat the Jayhawks in their regular-season meeting. But Kansas beat the Longhorns for the third straight year in the conference tournament title game and went on to win it all.

League MVP: Michael Beasley, Kansas State

KU NCAA result: National champion

2. 2011-12

1. Kansas, 16-2

2. Missouri, 14-4

3. Iowa State, 12-6

(tie) Baylor, 12-6

For the final scheduled Border War game, Missouri arrived at Allen Fieldhouse on Feb. 25 with three league losses and Kansas two. The Tigers had already beaten KU in Columbia, and a sweep would not only likely lead to at least a piece of the title but a final-statement triumph. But the Jayhawks prevailed in overtime, an outcome that brought an arm’s-raised triumph from Self.

League MVP: Thomas Robinson, Kansas

KU NCAA result: National runner-up

3. 2009-10

1. Kansas, 15-1

2. Kansas State, 11-5

(tie) Baylor, 11-5

(tie) Texas A&M, 11-5

KU dominated the regular season, losing at Tennessee and Oklahoma State before the NCAA Tournament. Against the three teams that finished tied for second, and including the Big 12 Tournament, the Jayhawks went 7-0.

League MVP: James Anderson, Oklahoma State

KU NCAA result: Lost in second round

4. 2010-11

1. Kansas, 14-2

2. Texas, 13-3

3. Texas A&M, 10-6

(tie) Kansas State, 10-6

For only the third time in the conference-title streak, Kansas lost a Big 12 game in Allen Fieldhouse. This loss came to Texas, the day after Thomas Robinson’s mother died. But the Jayhawks never fell behind the Longhorns in the polls and once again defeated Texas for the Big 12 Tournament title.

League MVP: Marcus Morris, Kansas

KU NCAA result: Lost in Elite Eight

5. 2016-17

1.Kansas 13-2

2 (tie), West Virginia, Baylor, Iowa State 10-5

One of Self’s most experienced teams has proved to be one his most resilient. No deficit seems too large to overcome, including a 14-point hole with less than three minutes to play against West Virginia last week. Senior guard Frank Mason could become Self’s first national player of the year, and Josh Jackson is one of the nation’s top freshman.

League MVP: TBA

KU NCAA result: TBA

6. 2006-07

1. Kansas, 14-2

2. Texas A&M, 13-3

3. Texas, 12-4

Self’s Jayhawks claimed their first outright title, but it was close. Kansas and Texas A&M were tied when the Aggies won at Allen Fieldhouse (the Acie Law IV shot) and took the league lead with eight games remaining. But Kansas won them all, and the Aggies lost twice down the stretch, including a double-overtime setback at Texas, led by Kevin Durant.

League MVP: Kevin Durant

KU NCAA result: Lost in Elite Eight

7. 2015-16

1. Kansas 15-3

2. West Virginia 13-5

3. Oklahoma 12-6

On Jan. 25, Kansas surrendered a seven-point halftime lead and fell at Iowa State 85-72, falling to 5-3 in Big 12 play. By midweek, the Jayhawks were tied for fourth. Bill Self solidified the lineup by starting Landen Lucas in 19 of the final 20 games and that had a positive impact on the team and season.

League MVP: Buddy Hield, Oklahoma

KU NCAA result: Lost in regional final

8. 2012-13

1. Kansas, 14-4

(tie) Kansas State, 14-4

3. Oklahoma State, 13-5

The Jayhawks swept the regular season from Kansas State, with no victory bigger than the one logged as Kansas was coming off a three-game losing streak that included a home loss to Oklahoma State.

League MVP: Marcus Smart, Oklahoma State

KU NCAA result: Lost in Sweet 16

9. 2004-05

1. Oklahoma, 12-4

(tie) Kansas, 12-4

3. Oklahoma State, 11-5

Oklahoma took a share of its first league title since 1989, and the Jayhawks won the game of the year, beating Oklahoma State 81-79 in a game that helped Wayne Simien win league player-of-the-year honors over Joey Graham. The Cowboys returned the favor in the Big 12 Tournament, and made the deepest NCAA run. Oklahoma beat Kansas in their only regular-season meeting.

League MVP: Wayne Simien

KU NCAA result: Lost in first round

10. 2014-15

1. Kansas, 13-5

2. Iowa State, 12-6

(tie) Oklahoma, 12-6

The Jayhawks, who finished 11-2 in the nonconference season, began the Big 12 season with a 9-1 mark, notching pivotal road wins at Baylor and Texas. A title seemed assured, but the Jayhawks dropped three of their next four on the road and would finish with a losing record in Big 12 games (4-5) for the first time. But Kansas was the only league team to go undefeated at home and that was enough for a one-game margin over Iowa State and Oklahoma.

League MVP: Buddy Hield, Oklahoma

KU NCAA result: Lost in second round

11. 2008-09

1. Kansas, 14-2

2. Oklahoma, 13-3

3. Missouri, 12-4

This season earned Self national coach-of-the-year honors. With five new starters — although Sherron Collins had played starters minutes during the national-title year — Kansas stunningly won its fifth straight Big 12 title. Oklahoma jumped to an 11-0 start, leading Kansas by one game. But Sooners star Blake Griffin suffered a concussion in the team’s first loss, to Texas. Next up was Kansas, and Griffin couldn’t play. Collins and Tyshawn Taylor had huge games as KU won in Norman. In their next game, Kansas took care of its other challenger, Missouri. A healthy Griffin could have ended the streak.

League MVP: Blake Griffin

KU NCAA result: Lost in Sweet 16

12. 2013-14

1. Kansas, 14-4

2. Oklahoma, 12-6

3. Texas, 11-7

(tie) Iowa State, 11-7

After losing five starters, Self reloaded with a freshmen class that included No. 1 overall recruit Andrew Wiggins and future lottery pick center Joel Embiid. There were growing pains during the nonconference season — the Jayhawks lost four times, including a rare home setback against San Diego State. But the Jayhawks set the tone in Big 12 play with an opening victory at Oklahoma. Kansas would start 7-0 in Big 12 play, shake off road losses at Texas and K-State and clinch a share of the Big 12 title in a home victory over Oklahoma on Feb. 24.

League MVP: Melvin Ejim, Iowa State

KU NCAA result: Lost in second round

13. 2005-06

1. Texas, 13-3

(tie) Kansas, 13-3

3. Oklahoma, 11-5

One of Bill Self’s best coaching jobs. Kansas, with three freshman starters, opened 3-4 and lost back-to-back games to K-State and Missouri. (Sorry, Christian Moody). The Jayhawks, though, rolled through their Big 12 schedule until taking a 25-point whipping at Texas. But the Longhorns lost their next game at Texas A&M, allowing Kansas to share the title. KU avenged its loss at Austin by beating Texas in the Big 12 title game in Dallas.

League MVP: P.J. Tucker, Texas

KU NCAA result: Lost in first round

This story was originally published February 23, 2017 at 8:55 AM with the headline "Blair Kerkhoff: Ranking KU’s 13 straight Big 12 championship teams."