Kansas basketball: The best game of 2017
By Stan Unruh
2017 is history. There were highs and lows for Jayhawk fans. What was your favorite Kansas basketball game of the past 12-months?
Kansas basketball fans can’t get enough of their Jayhawks. We count down the days to Late Night in the Phog, meticulously plan schedules around game times and are thankful for this amazing 13-year run of consecutive Big 12 Conference titles.
While sitting with family and friends over the past week, we discussed the upcoming Big 12 conference schedule. We also reminisced about the past season. As a matter of fact, everyone had a different opinion of their favorite Kansas basketball game from
2017. Some were focused on conference games. Others surprised me with their favorite game of the past year.
The amazing come from behind win over West Virginia was the first game mentioned as a favorite. Not every Kansas basketball fan saw the finish. As a matter of fact, I know dozens of people who went to bed early that night. ESPN also showed fans heading to Allen Fieldhouse exits with the score 64-50. The game was tough to watch until the final 3 minutes. Coach Bill Self and the Jayhawks didn’t quit.
I’ve watched the replay of the final minutes and overtime more than once. I have friends and family who missed the fantastic finish who have watched the replay and they still can’t believe it. Devonte Graham hit some huge shots down the stretch. Landon Lucas made some big plays and grabbed 13 rebounds. The game here was Frank Mason. He hit 16 of 18 free throws including 2 in the closing seconds to help secure the 84-80 victory.
One game I had not considered as a top game of 2017 was nine days after the crazy West Virginia finish. On a Wednesday night in late February, the Jayhawks coasted to a 9-point victory TCU. That win clinched a share of the program’s 13th straight Big 12 title. No surprise, Mason led all scorers with 20 points in 39 minutes of action. Graham chipped in 17 points and 7 assists. An important victory for the history of the program.
Don’t forget one other battle against purple
Next: Kansas basketball: Ode to Frank Mason
A look at the top games of 2017 has to include the win over the other Big 12 purple guys. The January 3 game at the fieldhouse had a wild but satisfying finish for Jayhawk fans. We all know a lot of people who are still mad that Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk ‘s layup at the buzzer gave the Jayhawks the 90-88 win. I never complain about the officials and certainly not about their work that night.