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

24 Mar 2002: Aaron Miles #11 and teammate Keith Langford #5 of Kansas celebrate their win during the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at the Kohl Center in Madison, Wisconsin. The Kansas Jayhawks beat the Oregon Ducks 104-86 to advance to the Final Four in Atlanta, Georgia. DIGITAL IMAGE. Mandatory Credit: Elsa/ Getty Images.
24 Mar 2002: Aaron Miles #11 and teammate Keith Langford #5 of Kansas celebrate their win during the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at the Kohl Center in Madison, Wisconsin. The Kansas Jayhawks beat the Oregon Ducks 104-86 to advance to the Final Four in Atlanta, Georgia. DIGITAL IMAGE. Mandatory Credit: Elsa/ Getty Images.
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Kansas Jayhawks mascot in action  (Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images)

No. 3: Kevin Pritchard (1986-1990)

Kansas basketball career stats: 139 games, 12.2 PPG, 2.4 RPG, 3.6 APG, 48.7% FG

Pritchard was one of the most important pieces of the “Danny and the Miracles” team, scoring 13 points on 6-of-7 shooting in the title game. Additionally, he was the primary player who kept the program afloat following the departures of Manning and head coach Larry Brown.

He was a consistent starter in all four years at the university, leading KU in points per game as a senior. Pritchard was a “Jayhawk lifer,” so to speak, and was revered by the fans in Allen Fieldhouse during his tenure. However, his name is not brought up often when people refer to the championship-winning team in 1988. Not only did he have a big part in that, but he was terrific for the next couple of years as well.

His 1,692 points rank No. 14 in program history, and he also finished top-15 in total steals and assists. Even as a 6-foot-3 point guard, Pritchard was an incredibly efficient and smart player. He is one of the most underappreciated Jayhawks of all-time.