Kansas basketball has featured some of the best players in college basketball through its storied history. KU has seen some terrific point guards over the decades and some guys who excelled at distributing the ball for their teammates.
Assists weren't an official NCAA stat until the early 1980s, but many schools and conferences kept track of them earlier than that. It's unclear when KU and the Big 9 started tracking assists, but there are records of them at least as far back as the mid-to-late 1970s.
The players on this list won't surprise many hardcore Jayhawks fans because they all had great success at Kansas and were fantastic guards.
All-time assist leaders in Kansas basketball history
Adonis Jordan was one of Roy Williams' first big recruits after the latter became head coach. Jordaan was the first of many great point guards Williams brought to the program during his time here.
Adonis Jordan's stats at Kansas
- Assists - 568
- Points - 1,373
- Rebounds - 336
- Steals - 181
- Turnovers - 263
Jordan made the First-Team All-Big-8 in 1991-92 on the way to a terrific career at Kansas. He was part of the foundation that Williams, then Bill Self, based on strong point guard play.
Taylor started 126 games at Kansas, including 33 as a freshman, so it is no surprise that he made it onto this list. He played with speed and quickness and seldom had trouble getting his team into the offense.
Tyshawn Taylor's stats at Kansas
- Assists - 575
- Points - 1,580
- Rebounds - 324
- Steals - 172
- Turnovers - 379
Taylor earned First-Team All-Big-12 honors in 2011-12 and made the All-NCAA Tournament team in 2012. While he put up great assist totals, he did struggle some with turnovers, especially his senior season, when he recorded 138. Still, he had a fine career at KU.
Few players in Kansas basketball history are as accomplished as Frank Mason. The tough point guard was originally slated to play at Towson before ending up at Kansas, where Bill Self turned him into the National Player of the Year.
Frank Mason's stats at Kansas
- Assists - 576
- Points - 1,885
- Rebounds - 500
- Steals - 165
- Turnovers - 270
Mason won numerous awards during his time with the Jayhawks. In addition to being the consensus National Player of the Year, he was Second-Team All-Big-12 twice, First-Team once, and on the Big 12 All-Defense team once. He could score as well as distribute and was a fine rebounder from the point guard position. He will always be known as one of the most decorated Kansas players ever.
In many aspects, Darnell Valentine was every bit the player that Mason was; he just didn't get the national accolades that the latter did. Valentine, from Wichita, Kansas, could score and pass with just about everyone. He was a stellar defensive player on top of being incredible on offense.
Darnell Valentine's stats at Kansas
- Assists - 609
- Points - 1,821
- Rebounds - 422
- Steals - 336
- Tunrovers - 89 (not tracked until the 1980-81 season)
Valentine was a four-time First-Team All-Big-8 member, and he led the conference in assists three times and steals twice. He was also named to the 1980 Olympic Team that didn't get to go because the United States boycotted the Moscow Games that year. He averaged 5.0 assists per game over a nine-year NBA career. He is not known to a lot of younger KU fans, but he was an incredible player.
Graham had a path to Kansas similar to that of his teammate, Frank Mason. Was initially going to Appalachian State, but ended up at KU. He won almost as many awards as Mason, but not the National Player of the Year. Regardless, Graham had a fantastic, well-decorated career with the Jayhawks.
Devonte' Graham's stats at Kansas
- Assists - 632
- Points - 1,750
- Rebounds - 439
- Steals - 197
- Turnovers - 270
Graham was honored as a Second-Team All-Big-12 once, First-Team another, and Big 12 All-Defense Team once. He was also a First-Team All-American. His 282 assists as a senior were the most in the Big 12 and second nationally. He had a great career at KU and a fine six-year NBA career. During his second season, he averaged 18.2 points and 7.5 assists per game.
Like many others on this list, Hinrich was an incredibly well-rounded guard who could score and pass equally well. He was an important cog in two Final Four teams under Roy Williams, and he averaged 20.7 points per game as a senior and 8.5 assists per game as a sophomore. He was a player who could get up and down the court and was an exciting player to watch.
Kirk Hinrich's stats at Kansas
- Assists - 668
- Points - 1,753
- Rebounds - 532
- Steals - 206
- Turnovers - 380
Hinrich was a First-Team All-Big-12 selection twice, and he led the conference in assists in 2001-02 with 229, which was fifth nationally. He was a fantastic player on some terrific Kansas basketball teams, and it was no surprise when he had a long, 13-year NBA career.
Hunter was the point guard on one of the best Kansas basketball teams ever. The 1985-86 squad went 35-4 but fell short in the Final Four. Hunter was an integral part of that team's success. While he wasn't the scorer that others on this list were, he didn't have to be; he was surrounded by players like Danny Manning, Ron Kellogg, and Calvin Thompson. Hunter's job was to get those guys the ball, and he did so to a great degree.
Cedric Hunter's stats at Kansas
- Assists - 684
- Points - 1,022
- Rebounds - 417
- Steals - 157
- Turnovers - 320
While Hunter wasn't buried in awards as some of the other KU point guards were, he did accumulate an incredible 489 assists over his junior and senior seasons, both tops in the Big 8. His 278 assists during that fantastic Final Four season were the third-most in the country. His 684 career assists were the most in Big 8 history. Quite the accomplishment!
There is a big jump in assist totals between fourth and third, and the top three were all pretty darn good. In third is former NBA player and coach, and current KU assistant coach, Jacque Vaughn. Like Hunter and Hinrich, Vaughn played on some great Kansas basketball teams and was surrounded by some great college basketball players. Few were better than Vaughn.
Jacque Vaughn's stats at Kansas
- Assists - 804
- Points - 1,207
- Rebounds - 373
- Steals - 160
- Turnovers - 351
Vaughn was a two-time First-Team All-Big-12 selection and was the Big 12 Player of the Year once. He was also a two-time Second-Team All-American. His 223 assists in 1995-96 led the Big 12, and twice he finished in the top seven nationally. He was the perfect leader for Roy Williams' run-and-gun offenses, and he is easily one of the best point guards in school history.
Harris accumulated his massive totals over five seasons, but he still would be in third without the 65 assists as a freshman, only four back of Vaughn. He played in an incredible 173 games at Kansas, with 144 starts. He played a significant role in the 2022 National Championship, which sealed his legacy in Kansas basketball history.
Dejuan Harris' stats at Kansas
- Assists - 865
- Points - 1,197
- Rebounds - 343
- Steals - 262
- Turnovers - 296
Harris was just as good on defense as he was at dishing out passes. He was named to three Big 12 All-Defense teams and was the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year. He was in the top 11 in the country in assists three times, including two top-five finishes. Not only is he second all-time in KU history, but he is also second all-time in Big 12 history in assists. He had a fantastic career, and he is the only player on this list with a national championship under his belt.
Miles overlapped with Hinrich for two years (can you imagine!) and is the only player on this list to play for two different Kansas coaches - Roy Williams and Bill Self. His totals are mind-boggling, as he notched at least 216 assists in every season. He was so good, he leads Harris by a whopping career 89 assists. He was a starter on the two Final Four teams.
Aaron Miles' stats at Kansas
- Assists - 954
- Points - 1,183
- Rebounds - 456
- Steals - 264
- Turnovers - 416
The Jayhawks were loaded during Miles' time at Kansas, so he wasn't asked to score much. For that reason, he sometimes doesn't get the recognition he deserves for his performances. That said, he led the Big 12 in assists twice and finished second twice. He finished in the top nine in assists all four years, including three times in the top four.
Not only is he first in Kansas basketball in this category, but he is also the all-time leader for the Big 12, and he ranks ninth all-time in NCAA history (since the stat was official). It will be very difficult for this record to ever be broken. He is the best passing point guard in Kansas history and one of the best ever in the college game.
The Jayhawks have had so many terrific point guards, and it will not be easy for anyone to crack this list. It is difficult to imagine anyone coming close to Aaron Miles' record.