Chloe
Matthews
14 Straight
Rock... Chalk… Jayhawk… K… U… It’s a familiar low pitched rumble to any Kansas basketball fan. The
chant’s often heard with 2 minutes left in a game while Kansas leads at Allen Field House. It’s sure to
bring gooesbumps to any newcomer sitting inside the legendary stadium.
Hanging in the rafters are banners of achievements, most notably 14 straight Big 12 Championships
starting all the way back in 2005.
It’s an impressive feat. One that is
unmatched by any other program.
But to put this feat into
perspective, the closest program
with 13 consecutive conference
titles is UCLA from 1967-1979.
John Wooden coached UCLA for 9
of those seasons.
Now, no group of KU players
wants to be the reason the streak
gets snapped.
Devonte’ Graham joins alongside Mario Chalmers, Joel Embiid, Wayne Simien, Aaron Miles, Sherron
Collins, Sasha Kaun, Brandon Rush, Cole Aldrich, Thomas Robinson, and Jeff Withey (just to name a few)
all have played a part in the streak.
One of my favorite titles came on March 3, 2007.
The energy and excitement in the air could be felt on your skin. The entire building was buzzing. The
atmosphere was on the verge of exploding.
I was a small 9-year-old with a blue and red painted face, jumping up and down in the stands, cheering
on my favorite team.
The second half had just started. Kansas was making a run after coming back to a 16-point deficit and
Texas called a timeout. The crowd was eager to continue exploding and that’s when the cameraman
found the sign.
It read, “Born in Texas, Proud to be a Jayhawk,” and the Fieldhouse went wild.
It was a thrilling victory over the Kevin Durant led Texas Longhorns, one that the boys battled hard for.
One that made me realize being raised a Jayhawk was being raised right.