Kansas basketball: Ranking the 10 greatest big men in Jayhawks history

No. 7: Wayne Simien (2001-2005)

Kansas basketball career stats: 106 games, 15.0 PPG, 8.3 RPG, 0.7 BPG, 55.8% FG

Simien began his collegiate career by reaching consecutive Final Fours, so the Sunflower State native was no stranger to winning. He sits at No. 7 all-time in Kansas’ total rebound department (884) and No. 4 in double-doubles (38).

He was a numbers machine, becoming the first of three (current) Jayhawks to average 20+ points per game under Bill Self during the 2004-05 season. Simien also won Big 12 Player of the Year and was selected as a First Team Consensus All-American. Unfortunately, his time in Lawrence ended on a sour note with a gut-wrenching loss to No. 14-seeded Bucknell.

At 6-foot-9, 255 pounds, Simien had a fully developed body the second he set foot on campus. It was nearly impossible to stop him offensively, as he could use his brute strength to get position down low or hit a post fadeaway if opposing teams sagged off of him. Defense wasn’t necessarily his forte, but being teammates with players like Aaron Miles and Keith Langford made up for that.

Choosing between him and Gooden was not easy, but we’ll give Simien the benefit of the doubt because he spent all four years in college and played on more winning Kansas basketball teams.