WELCOME TO
1965 TO 1975
BY TRAVIS ROBINETT AND JACK WEINSTEIN
For Allen Fieldhouse, the years 1965-1975 were filled with historic moments. The homecourt dominance that Phog
Allen had dream of was finally established, though Ted Owens-led teams finished below .500 twice, in 1971-1972 and 1972-1973. But Owens did lead teams to three perfect seasons in the fieldhouse in 1965-1966, and back-to-back seasons 1969-1970 and 1970-1971. Players such as Walt Wesley, Jo Jo White, Dave Robisch and Bud Stallworth all graced the fieldhouse during this time. All four were rewarded for their accomplishments by later having their jerseys honored and hung in the rafters.
On Feb. 12, 1966, the Nebraska Cornhuskers visited Lawrence to take on the Jayhawks. The victors would receive the Big Eight Championship and an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, while the losers would have to hang their heads and look forward to next year. At the time, the NCAA Tournament did not have at-large bids, and only the conference champion was eligible for a shot at the national title. Some Jayhawk fans were calling it the biggest regular season game in Kansas basketball history. Coach Ted Owens and his players did not disappoint the Jayhawk faithful, running the 'Huskers out of the building and winning 110-73 on their way to the NCAA Tournament.
In addition to basketball, the fieldhouse hosted numerous other events. Singer Robert Goulet performed at the fieldhouse. He had led homecoming cheers earlier that day at Memorial Stadium in Kansas' victory against Kansas State. Other musical acts such as Louis Armstrong, Ike and Tina Turner, Elton John, the Beach Boys and Sonny and Cher performed at the fieldhouse during this decade. In March 1966, Kansas hosted the Big Eight Gymnastics Championships. In 1967, Jim
Rynn broke the indoor track half-mile record. Shortly after his 1968 presidential nomination, Robert Kennedy gave a speech in the fieldhouse to an over-capacity crowd of 20,000. The crowd was the largest in fieldhouse history.
On Feb.1, 1969, having arrived at midseason as a sophomore in 1966, JoJo White had exhausted his eligibility and played in his final game as a Jayhawk. White scored 30 points in front of 17,000 fans in an 80-70 victory against Colorado. It was also the 100th career coaching victory for Ted Owens.
Two nights later, Kansas reached another milestone with its 1,000th victory in school history in a 64-48 victory against Oklahoma State.
The 1970-1971 season was a magical year for the Jayhawks. They finished with a 27-3 record, including 14-0 in the fieldhouse. Led by senior Dave Robisch and junior Bud Stallworth, Kansas won the Big Eight Conference and advanced to the Final Four, eventually losing to UCLA in the national semifinals.
On Feb. 26, 1972, the 1952 National Championship team was on hand for its 20th anniversary celebration. It was also the final game for Stallworth. Mizzou couldn't handle Stallworth, as he contributed 50 points in the 93-80 victory. His career high marked the highest point total scored in a conference game and the second highest point total by a Jayhawk in Allen Fieldhouse, behind Wilt Chamberlain's 52 in 1956.
In 1973, Marian Washington was hired as women's basketball coach and started building her team.
Ted Owens' teams had a turbulent decade from 1965-1975, but that didn't stop them from dominating inside Allen Fieldhouse. Owens-led squads finished with a 105-20 record in the fieldhouse during that span. The home-court advantage had been established, and few visiting teams would win inside the fieldhouse in the coming years.
02. 13.1968
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