Kansas basketball: Best KU players each season since 2000

Kansas basketball (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images)
Kansas basketball (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images)
18 of 25
DALLAS – MARCH 12: Julian Wright #30 of the Kansas Jayhawks runs upcourt during the game against the Texas Longhorns during the final of the Phillips 66 Big 12 Men’s Basketball Championship Tournament at American Airlines Arena on March 12, 2006 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
DALLAS – MARCH 12: Julian Wright #30 of the Kansas Jayhawks runs upcourt during the game against the Texas Longhorns during the final of the Phillips 66 Big 12 Men’s Basketball Championship Tournament at American Airlines Arena on March 12, 2006 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

2006 – Julian Wright

Rush and Chalmers both have good cases for being the best player in 2006, as well. However, I think Wright brought a level of swagger that those two just couldn’t match. I’ll never forget the highlights of Julian and his tube socks flying through the air for ESPN’s Top 10 worthy dunks. Everyone remembers Darrell Arthur as the mid-range big man extraordinaire, but Wright was nearly an identical player with a slightly better passing game and a little bit better knack for rebounding. Arthur has the ring, but Wright was the better player in my opinion.