Kansas basketball: Ranking the 10 most underappreciated Jayhawks of all-time

No. 9: Calvin Thompson (1982-1986)

Kansas basketball career stats: 131 games, 11.8 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 2.5 APG, 53.4% FG

Thompson was a staple in KU’s lineup during the mid-1980s, serving as the perfect glue guy for the Jayhawks alongside Danny Manning and Ron Kellogg. He might not be the most well-known player from those teams, but he continued to produce year in and year out.

A 6-foot-6 wing, Thompson could do a bit of everything on the court. He was active on the boards and could score at all three levels, even playing as the facilitator at some points. By the time he graduated from the university, his 1,548 points ranked No. 4 in Kansas basketball history. His 33 consecutive free throws made is an all-time record at KU, and it’ll likely take a while to ever be shattered.

Unfortunately, he was two years late to the party and graduated just before Kansas took home a national title in 1988. He was one of Larry Brown’s building blocks as he brought the program back to greatness, yet Thompson’s contributions to the Jayhawks continue to go unnoticed by many fans to this day.