Here’s a look at KU’s record vs. No. 1 teams in Lawrence as Arizona game nears
Kansas has played five No. 1-ranked men’s basketball teams in Allen Fieldhouse since the building opened in 1955.
Winless in five tries, the Jayhawks (18-5, 8-2) will entertain Arizona, the top-rated team in the Associated Press poll the last eight weeks, at 8 p.m. Monday with a live telecast on ESPN.
U of A, which improved to 23-0 overall and 10-0 in the Big 12 by clobbering Oklahoma State 84-47 on Saturday in Tucson, Arizona, coincidentally was the last No. 1-rated squad to visit Allen. The Wildcats overcame a 20-point deficit to defeat No. 6 KU 91-74 on Jan. 25, 2003.
The other No. 1-ranked teams to beat KU in Allen: Cincinnati (1962), Notre Dame (1974), Kentucky (1977) and Oklahoma (1989).
The Jayhawks, it should be noted, did claim a victory against No. 1 Kansas State in 1953 on KU’s campus. The 80-66 victory over the Wildcats was contested in Hoch Auditorium, however, not Allen Fieldhouse.
Overall, KU is 4-4 in games against No. 1-ranked teams in the Bill Self era, none of those contests played in Lawrence.
Here’s a look at KU’s games against No. 1 teams in Allen (and Hoch) throughout history:
KU basketball’s home games vs. No. 1 teams
No. 1 Arizona 91, No. 6 KU 74, Jan. 25, 2003
Salim Stoudamire scored 20 of his career-high 32 points in the second half as Arizona erased a 20-point deficit to earn a 17-point victory. At the time it was the biggest blown lead in KU history in a loss and remains KU’s biggest blown lead in a loss in Allen Fieldhouse.
Baylor overcame a 21-point deficit to beat KU 81-70 on Feb. 1, 2025 in Waco, Texas.
Arizona, coached by Lute Olson, outscored the Roy Williams-led Jayhawks 67-30 over the final 25:41. Jason Gardner scored 23 points with seven boards and six assists for U of A.
KU, which had its 25-game homecourt win streak snapped by the Wildcats, was led by Keith Langford, who scored 27 points.
No. 1 Oklahoma 94, unranked KU 89 (OT), Feb. 15, 1989
KU, which sent the game into overtime on a layup by Kevin Pritchard, nearly pulled the upset but ultimately suffered its sixth straight loss in Williams’ first season at KU.
OU, which improved to 22-3, overcame a six-point second half deficit. Forward Stacey King, who finished with 19 points, scored three straight points to give OU a 92-89 lead with 1:03 left in OT. A Mike Bell dunk completed the scoring.
Tyrone Jones scored 16 points and Mookie Blaylock 15 for the Billy Tubbs-coached Sooners. Mark Randall scored 29 points, Milt Newton 23 and Pritchard 19 for the Jayhawks, who were ineligible to play in the postseason that season because of NCAA probation.
No. 1 Kentucky 73, No. 19 KU 66, Dec. 10, 1977
Kyle Macy scored 15 points, while Mike Phillips had 14, Jack Givens 10 (with nine rebounds) and Rick Robey eight points and 10 boards for the Joe B. Hall coached Wildcats, who went on to win the NCAA title.
Darnell Valentine scored 17 points, while Paul Mokeski and Donnie Von Moore each had 12 points for KU, which was coached by Ted Owens. Moore had 11 rebounds.
This game was played on the same night legendary UK coach/former KU player Adolph Rupp died.
No. 1 Notre Dame 76, unranked KU 74, Jan. 22, 1974
There was plenty of pregame hype as Notre Dame arrived in Lawrence three days after snapping UCLA’s NCAA-record 88-game winning streak with a 71-70 victory in South Bend.
Notre Dame won another close one, thanks to 23 points from John Shumate and 17 from Adrian Dantley. The two combined to convert 16 of 21 free throws. KU, which battled back from a 14-point halftime deficit, was led by Rick Suttle, who had 27 points.
KU’s Norm Cook and Tommy Smith, who each had four points, fouled out in the second half. Roger Morningstar had 12 points for KU.
Just a freshman, Dantley converted a layup with 1:40 left to give the Irish a 76-72 lead. KU’s Suttle scored with 35 ticks remaining to cut the gap to two, but the Jayhawks never did regain possession.
The victory was the 11th straight for the Irish, who would finish the year 26-3, losing to Michigan 77-68 in the regional semifinals of the NCAAs. Coached by Owens, KU that season went 23-7 and reached the Final Four, where it lost to Marquette 64-61 in the semifinals and to UCLA 78-61 in the consolation game.
No. 1 Cincinnati 64, unranked KU 49 Dec. 15, 1962
Cincinnati improved to 5-0 during the early season meeting between the schools. KU fell to 2-4.
The Jayhawks, who went 12-13 that season, were coached by Dick Harp, in his seventh season. George Unseld and Nolen Ellison averaged 17.3 and 15.8 points for KU that season.
Cincinnati, coached by Ed Jucker, was coming off back-to-back NCAA titles (1961, 62). The Bearcats, who ultimately lost to Loyola in the finals, were led by Ron Bonham (21.0 ppg), Tom Thacker (15.8 ppg) and George Wilson (15.0 ppg).
KU in the 1963-64 season defeated Cincinnati 51-47 to snap Cincy’s 90-game homecourt win streak. During the streak, UC had won 72 straight games in Armory Fieldhouse plus 18 in Cincinnati Gardens.
No. 15 KU 80, No. 1 Kansas State 66, Jan. 17, 1953
Kansas knocked off No. 1 K-State in a game played in Hoch Auditorium. The Jayhawks earlier had defeated No. 1 KSU 93-87 in the finals of the Big Eight preseason tournament in Municipal Auditorium.
The 1952-53 Kansas Jayhawks, coached by Phog Allen, fell to Indiana 69-68 in the 1953 championship game on March 18, 1953.
Led by B.H. Born, who was named Most Outstanding Player despite the loss, the team finished as Big Seven Conference champions with a 19-5 record. That K-State team, coached by Jack Gardner, finished the season ranked 12th with a 17-4 record.
Throughout history (from 1952 through 2024) KU is 9-18 overall in games played against No. 1.
Here are the results of Self coached KU teams vs. No. 1:
Houston 76, No. 14 Kansas 46, March 9, 2024, in Houston; Gonzaga 102, No. 6 Kansas 90, Nov. 26, 2020, in Fort Myers, Florida; No. 3 Kansas 64, Baylor 61, Feb. 22, 2020, in Waco; No. 7 Kansas 77, Duke 75, Nov. 15, 2016, in New York; Kentucky 72, No. 5 Kansas 40, Nov. 18, 2014, in Indianapolis; Kentucky 67, No. 6 Kansas 59, April 2, 2012, in New Orleans; No. 4 Kansas 84, North Carolina 66, March 5, 2008, in San Antonio; No. 10 Kansas 82, Florida 80, OT, Nov. 25, 2006, Las Vegas.
