☆ ☆ ☆
1995 TO 2005 BY KELLIS ROBINETT AND JACK WEINSTEIN
Jacque Vaughn and Roy Williams embrace after Vaughn spoke to the sold-out crowd in Allen Field House.
The most recent decade in Allen Fieldhouse history has been one of the most historic, eventful and dominant. Many new additions were made to the fieldhouse during this period. Men's teams had their greatest homecourt advantage, going 135-7 in the 10-year period. They have enjoyed five undefeated seasons, including four straight, from 1994-1995 through 1997-1998.
A conference change affected Kansas basketball. Prior to the 1996-1997 season, the Big Eight Conference merged with Texas, Texas A&M, M Texas Tech and Baylor to compose the Big 12 Conference.
Kansas dominated both leagues by winning the final two Big Eight Championships. In 1995 the Jayhawks were 25-6, 14-0 in the fieldhouse, and in 1996 they finished 29-5, 13-0 in the fieldhouse. Kansas claimed the first two Big 12 Championships as well, in 1997 with a 34-2 record, 15-0 in the fieldhouse, and in 1998 going 35-4, 16-0 in the fieldhouse.
In the 1997 season opener, Kansas began its celebration of 100 years of Kansas basketball by dedicating the fieldhouse court to James Naismith on Nov. 14.
Nearly one month later, on Dec. 13, Chancellor Robert Hemenway and Phog Allen's son Bob unveiled a statue that would commemorate and honor his father, arguably the first great coach in all of college basketball's history.
In December 1998, Iowa brought Kansas' longest home court winning streak to an end. After 62 straight fieldhouse victories, Iowa defeated Kansas, 85-81, giving the Jayhawks their first home loss since 1993.
Wilt Chamberlain finally returned to Allen Fieldhouse on Jan. 17, 1998, to have his jersey officially retired after having been chosen for the inaugural class in 1992. Chamberlain, adorned in his original letter jacket, gave an emotional speech to a packaged house of 16,300 at halftime of the Kansas-Kansas State game. Kansas won the contest 69-62. Chamberlain remained on Naismith Court for two hours after the game to sign autographs.
On Feb. 8, 1998, KU fans, players and coaches celebrated 100 years of Kansas basketball with 270 former players and coaches with an 80-70 victory against Missouri. Members of Kansas' 10 Final Four teams were honored during time-outs. Kirk Hinrich led Kansas in a 99-56 victory against Washburn on Nov. 25, 2000, scoring 22 points. The game marked the 500th victory in Allen Fieldhouse history.
Tameka Dixon, who played from 1994-1997, and Angela Aycock, from 1992-1995, became the second and third women to have
their jerseys retired in Allen Fieldhouse.
March 1, 2003, marked the final game for the great Jayhawk senior duo of Nick Collison and Kirk Hinrich. Kansas beat Oklahoma State 79-61. That Senior Day game would be the last coached by Roy Williams in the fieldhouse. Williams finished with a 418-101 record in 15 seasons as the Kansas coach. He compiled an amazing 201-17 record at Allen Fieldhouse. Williams' teams won nine conference titles and competed in four Final Fours. He is the second winningest coach in Kansas basketball history, behind Allen. Williams left Kansas and returned to coach his alma mater, North Carolina.
In 2003, Bill Self was considered one of the hottest young coaches in the country. He had guided a struggling Oral Roberts team from its worst season in school history to an NIT berth in 1996-1997, just four seasons after being hired. At Tulsa, Self led the Golden Hurricane to an Elite Eight appearance in his third season as coach in 2000, a year in which his team finished 32-5. Self was voted National Coach of the Year that season by "The Sporting News." In three years at Illinois, he led the Illini to consecutive Big Ten regular season titles and a 2001 Elite Eight appearance. Self was Kansas' first choice to follow Williams, and was hired shortly after his departure. In Self's first victory in Allen Fieldhouse, Keith Langford all scores to defeat Tennessee-Chattanooga 90-76 on Nov. 21, 2003.
Marian Washington took a leave of absence during the 2004 women's basketball season. She retired in February after coaching for 31 years in Allen Fieldhouse. Washington compiled a 559-356 record at Kansas, including seven conference titles and 11 NCAA Tournament appearances. Legendary Jayhawk Lynette Woodard replaced Washington on an interim basis to finish the season. Washington was honored in a pregame ceremony on Feb. 28, 2004. Bonnie Henrickson of Virginia Tech was hired as a permanent replacement on March 29, 2004.
The decade of 1995-2005 has easily been one of the best in Kansas basketball history. Kansas was blessed with some of the greatest Jayhawk players ever, seeing the likes of Paul Pierce, Raef LaFrentz, Nick Collison, Jacque Vaughn and Drew Gooden, all of whom now have their jerseys hanging from the fieldhouse rafters. The current senior class of Keith Langford, Michael Lee, Aaron Miles and Wayne Simien has reached consecutive Final Fours and an Elite Eight in their time in Lawrence.
Prior to the 2004-2005 season, Kansas compiled a 551-101 record in Allen Fieldhouse, including 13 undefeated seasons. Eighteen conference champion teams have played on the fieldhouse courts, as well as nine Final Four squads and one National Championship team. Kansas has one of the most intimidating environments for opposing players, with fans who are more knowledgeable and passionate than anywhere in the country. Allen Fieldhouse is the house that Phog built, a place he envisioned as a dominant home for one of the greatest teams in college basketball history. $\star$
15