1973-74 Jayhawks were a Team: Coach Ted Owens and players planning a 50-year reunion to celebrate their time in the spotlight.

This story was published in KU Today & Tomorrow (2023-24 edition) about the 50th anniversary of the miracle 1973-74 Final Four Jayhawks, the "Comeback Kids." Thanks so much for my kind editor Jean Teller for giving me the go-ahead with this pitch and story. The 1973-74 Kansas basketball team was my first KU hoops love, and the memories of my childhood heroes like Rick Suttle, Norm Cook, Roger Morningstar, Dale Greenlee, Danny Knight, Tommie Smith and Tom Kivisto have stayed with me forever. This team, even though I was only 7 years old at the time, taught me to believe in miracles, that anything possible can happen. KU and head coach Ted Owens responded from a dismal 8-18 season in 1972-73 season and showed true toughness, tremendous chemistry, and most important, a beautiful brotherhood that remains strong 50 years later. A special thanks to my friend and childhood hero Dale Greenlee for a wonderful 90-minute interview reliving the joys of yesteryear. Dale is one of the kindest and most personable individual I’ve ever met!  I’m so grateful for Dale and the time he shared with me during this story, and also with our interviews and talks over the years. Dale sent me a highlight video of the 1974 and 1975 seasons in 2009, which proved invaluable to this story for its exclusive insight and some great quotes by Owens.

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On a beautiful July day in Indianapolis, Dale Greenlee has finished playing nine holes of golf (two birdies) with his daughter, Julie, who’s visiting from Atlanta. He’s looking forward to his 70th birthday in a couple of weeks.

 

Greenlee, branch manager in industrial sales for FCX Performance, treasures Julie’s birthday gift — an autographed basketball of NBA legend Julius Erving — as he thinks back 50 years ago and reflects on his 1973–74 Kansas basketball Final Four team (23–7). He and his teammates staged the most dramatic comeback in school annals and one of the biggest turnarounds from the previous season (8-18 in 1972-73) in NCAA history. The 1973-74 team was the first team in 23 years to earn a Final Four berth after a losing season.

 

“It seems like yesterday, especially when the NCAA Tournament starts,” Greenlee says. “It’s like it’s been a few years; the memories keep flooding back. I see Kansas playing in the tournament and think, ‘Oh my gosh, it wasn’t that long ago we were there, but it was.’ It makes you feel young when you watch KU. I think (Coach) Bill Self could put me in and maybe I could get one shot. I couldn’t guard anyone anymore.”

 

The Return Season

Greenlee, one of the fiercest competitors in KU history and once called the league’s “best pure shooter,” was a sophomore in 1972–73, playing on the team that lost every close game — a “season of challenges.”

 

The returnees completely “redoubled our dedication in the offseason ... to become a better basketball player,” and the “effort and quality of play in practice was better.”

 

With the top four scorers returning and the additions of sweet-shooting 6-foot-6 community college transfer Roger Morningstar and 6-foot-9 high school star Norm Cook, KU was still picked by area media to finish fifth or worse in the Big Eight.

 

KU coach Ted Owens, now age 93, was named Big 8 Coach of the Year five times during his tenure at KU. He started senior co-captain Tom Kivisto and Greenlee as guards, Morningstar and Cook as forwards, and junior center Danny Knight, with “Super Subs” 6-foot-10 Rick Suttle (team-high scorer in conference play) and 6-foot-4 Tommie Smith, who all gave instant spark when they rotated into play.

 

“The Comeback Kids” first routed Murray State, 103–71, during which Cook (Big 8 Freshman of the Year) had a magical freshman debut with 21 points (10–10 FG); then the team won a huge home battle with No. 10 Kentucky, 71–63.

 

“That was critical to our confidence,” Greenlee says. “We’re thinking, ‘We can play with anybody.’” 

 

After next losing at No. 3 Indiana, Greenlee says, “We played pretty well (going forward).” However, after losing to Colorado, 73–71, on December 26, 1973 — KU’s second straight loss — Kivisto told John Hendel in his 1991 book: Kansas Jayhawks: History-making Basketball,  that doubt crept in and he called a team meeting.

 

“We decided we’re going to go with some kids … who worked hard … (and) have a little bit of fun,” Kivisto said at the time.  

 

KU won 14 of the next 16 games, including a pivotal 72–71 win at Iowa on January 2, 1974. Kansas (0–7 in road games the previous season) finally won a close road game and against a Big Ten foe.

 

“This game made our season,” Kivisto said. He was an All-Big 8 and Academic All-American that year.

 

The close wins and tremendous team chemistry continued with five players averaging in double figures for the first time in school history. Knight was the team-high scorer at 12.4 points per game. Kivisto, a prep All-American, was the consummate leader who sacrificed scoring to help everyone.

 

“Tom was our most valuable player,” Greenlee says, “… and never happier when giving an assist.”

 

Playing on a “team without a star,” Greenlee remembers that “nobody cared who scored. We played like brothers. We were really a tight group, watched out, and cared about each other. We hung out off the court, my comrades in arms. You worked, practiced, traveled with, that’s a lifetime experience.”

 

Greenlee has warm memories of living with teammates at Jayhawker Towers, attending KU football games, and visiting the homes of Owens and assistants Sam Miranda and Duncan Reid. The coaches viewed the team as “family.”

 

The Big Eight Title

On March 6 at Allen Fieldhouse in what the Wichita Eagle termed “The Game of the Year,” KU beat K-State, 60–55, clinching the Big Eight title. Students stormed the court, the KU team cut down the nets, and the players were carried off the court. 

“We’ve won a lot of championships, but this means more than any we’ve ever had,” Owens said in the jubilant locker room.

 

“We went up on the Hill afterwards,” Greenlee says, where 7,000 fans celebrated at midnight. “Nobody wanted to sleep. It felt as if you almost won the national championship because you had to win the conference to get into the NCAA Tournament.”

 

The best was just beginning.

 

After KU beat Creighton, 55–54, in Tulsa during the Jayhawks’ opening game (they received a bye in the first round), the Kansas team went up against the high-scoring Oral Roberts squad for the Midwest Regional title on ORU’s home court, the Mabee Center, which remains “The Game” in Tulsa.

 

ORU led 81–74 with 3:19 left. The Jayhawks scored the last seven points to tie the game in regulation and went on to win 93–90 in overtime.

 

“We had a season when we’d come back a lot,” Greenlee says. “I’ll never forget the timeouts. I’d look at Kivisto. He’d look at me, we’d look at Roger, and Rick and Norm. We figured we’d do what we had to do to get back in it.”

 

The Jayhawks were overjoyed afterwards. Owens called the victory against a great team on its homecourt the “gutsiest thing I’ve ever seen.”

 

“You’ve climbed the next mountain,” Greenlee says now. “The first mountain was winning the conference. (Now) you’re standing at the peak of the mountain and ... moving on to the Final Four.”

 

In the 1991 Hendel book, Kivisto said, “It was as talented Final Four group, with the exception of our team, as there ever was in a Final Four.” The rosters of the Final Four teams included numerous future first-rouned NBA picks as as well as future Hall of Famers Bill Walton and David Thompson. The Final Four wasn’t near the huge media event it is today, so there was just a small sign at the Holiday Inn at Greensboro, North Carolina, where the Jayhawks were staying, that read: “Welcome, Kansas Jayhawks.” 

 

On March 23, No. 6 KU played No. 3 Marquette in the undercard game in Greensboro, while No. 1 N.C. State took on No. 2 UCLA in what was billed the “Dream Game.”

 

“We were thrilled to be there,” Greenlee says. Newspaper headlines used “Mystery Team” to describe Kansas.

 

After KU led 24-23 at halftime, Marquette coach Al McGuire directed his players to a full-court press on Kivisto and Kansas lost 64-51. In the 1991 book, Owens said, ‘We did not have a lot of other ballhandlers except Tom Kivisto, so what they did was full-court pressed and trapped him. It was good strategy on their part. They trapped him and took the ball out out of his hands and put the press of ball handling on other people…”

 

 The Jayhawks fell against UCLA in the consolation game, 78–61, after leading by eight points at halftime.

 

Even with both losses, the KU players felt immense pride though. Owens said later, “This team probably gave as many thrills and excitement in the great history of Kansas basketbalI. It was this kind of unity, spirit, and togetherness which made us such a great team.”

 

The Brotherhood

Greenlee says the team’s brotherhood remains strong.

 

“Definitely for life,” he says. “That’s not something that changes.”

 

The squad regularly comes back for reunions and is planning a 50-year reunion in Lawrence this season. Greenlee talks to his close friend Morningstar every week and speaks to to other teammates on a regular basis. He also keeps in touch with Owens. He says his former roommate Tommie Smith still calls him “roomie,” and the team has a group text.

 

“You slide right back into the relationships (at reunions),” Greenlee says. “There’s that feeling of joy, warmth, the hugs. You’re right back where you were in 1974.”

 

Greenlee can’t hold back his emotions when expressing what that miracle comeback season 50 years ago meant to him and his lifetime “brothers.”

 

“It was one of the greatest moments of my life,” he says. “I believe we had as good a group of guys that ever wore Kansas on their chests. I’m proud to have been part of that group.”

 

1973–74 Basketball

Overall Big 8                 Home    Away     Neutral Post-Season        NCAA Tournament

23-7      13-1, First          12-1      7-3        4-3        2-2                    2-2, Final Four

 

Note: This KU team had its 50-year reunion on Jan. 5, 2024 weekend. The 1973-74 Final Four Jayhawks were honored at halftime on James Naismith Court, when No. 2 KU played TCU at Allen Fieldhouse on Jan. 6. Hunter Dickinson scored with 3.4 seconds remaining, lifting the ‘Hawks over TCU 83-81. It was a great day to honor those (and my) beloved Jayhawks of 50 years ago! Thank you Coach Owens and all my heroes from that 1974 team. You made my childhood so might brighter and you are in my heart forever! Not only were you the consummate TEAM, you are great people. That's what counts in the end.

Devonte' Graham ranks as one of KU's all-time greats

Devonte' Graham's story is well known by now. After originally signing with Appalachian State in high school, he went to Brewster Academy in New Hampshire and was eventually released from his letter of intent and signed with Kansas.

After coming off the bench his freshman season and learning the ropes from starting point guard Frank Mason, Graham started all but two games the rest of his career and became one of the all-time KU greats. He was a consensus first-team All-American as a senior in 2017-18, leading KU to the Final Four and averaging 17.3 points, 7.2 assists and 4.0 rebounds in 37.6 minutes per game.

A Raleigh, N.C., native, Graham left an indelible mark at Kansas. He ranks No. 1 all time in minutes (1,474), No. 13 in scoring (1,750 points), No. 5 in assists (632), No. 7 in steals (197), No. 2 in three-point field goals (296), No. 12 in three-point field goal percentage (40.9), No. 13 in starts (111), and tied for No. 7 in games (142).

The 6-2 guard, one of the best and charismatic leaders in school history, was part of four Big 12 championships, two Big 12 Tournament titles, two Elite Eights and one Final Four.

Graham, the 2018 Big 12 Player of the Year who will have his jersey retired in the hallowed Allen Fieldhouse rafters someday, was selected with the 34th pick of the 2018 NBA Draft by the Atlanta Hawks, who traded him to the Charlotte Hornets. Graham has played in 39 games (three starts) this season while averaging 4.8 points, 2.6 assists and 1.3 rebounds in 14.1 minutes per game.

I wrote two feature stories on him for Kansas City Sports Magazine, one during his sophomore season and one during his senior year in the January 2017 issue, where I wrote about his tremendous leadership skills and how he was proudly raised by his mom, who had him when she was just 14 years old. Like my article on Jamari Traylor, this feature on Graham was one of the most inspirational stories I ever wrote on a KU hoops player.

Graham was a very popular figure with the media and one of my all-time favorite Jayhawks to interview. Here is that January 2017 story.

Graham is undeniably Jayhawks' leader

By David Garfield

Devonte’ Graham is pushing hard and he can’t stop. Not now, not after three years of living his dream of playing for powerhouse Kansas basketball and working tirelessly to become one of the best players in the country and lead KU to the Final Four.

After playing somewhat in the shadow of star players like Perry Ellis early in his career and National Player of the Year Frank Mason III last season, this is finally Graham’s time to shine, to fully embrace being the go-to guy and and true leader for KU — both on and off the court.

And the 6-2 guard is primed for the challenge.

“I definitely think it’s my team,” said Graham, the preseason Big 12 Player of the Year. “I’m a senior, senior leader, senior guard, been starting three years. It’s definitely my team. You got to take ownership with the ups and down. If we win, it’s on me. If we lose, it’s on me. I believe it’s my team.”

KU coach Bill Self completely agrees.

“Devonte' is the face of our program,” Self said at Big 12 Media Day in October. “There is no question about it, probably as much right now as anybody we've had. Devonte' has been a pretty consistent performer for three years. But in order for us to be really, really good he has to play at an All-American type level for us, and we think he's very capable of doing that and certainly he's got the personality that will draw people to him by watching him play.”

Graham has indeed been playing like an All-American this early season for No. 11 KU (10-2). At press time entering January, he ranks fifth in the Big 12 in scoring at 16.8 points per game, second in assists at 7.6 (No. 6 nationally), third in steals (2.0), tied for fifth in free throw percentage (86.8), tied for fourth in three-point field goals made (3.2) and fourth in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.9).

After struggling at first to find his shot and averaging just 12.0 points per game, Graham was never better offensively when exploding for 35 points in consecutive games against Toledo at Allen Fieldhouse on Nov. 28 and Syracuse in Miami on Dec. 2. Graham, who was named Big 12 Player of the Week and National Player of the Week by numerous outlets, became the first Jayhawk to score 35 or more in back-to-back games since Dave Robisch in 1970.

This performance left coaches, teammates, fans, and even Miami Heat team president Pat Riley gushing. After Graham lit up the Orange for his 35 points with 7 threes on 13 attempts, including several bombs from NBA three-point range, Riley told Self afterward at AmericanAirlines Arena that the senior put on a “show.”

Self certainly thought so, and for the second straight game.

“I don't know if we've had anybody ever score the ball that well when the game was still in balance, so to speak,” Self said about Graham’s exploits versus Toledo and Syracuse.

KU teammate Clay Young was also awestruck.

“He shot lights out,” Young said two days after KU’s 76-60 victory over SU. “It was impressive to watch. Him just rising up and shooting over people and hitting tough shots was pretty impressive. He had 35 (against Syracuse) with like seven or eight minutes left in the game. If he had been more aggressive the last couple of minutes. He only shoots when he has to. He never forces anything that he doesn’t need to. He does what he has to do. We needed him to score and he did. That’s the sign of a leader.

“The last two games we’ve really needed someone to step up scoring wise,” Young added. “He really took charge. His shot wasn’t falling at the beginning of the year, but these last two games, he’s been great for us. Him out there taking so much charge and initiative to get our offense going, he’s shown great leadership.”

Whether it’s scoring when the team needs offense, feeding the open man to get him going, lifting a teammate up with encouraging words when he’s down, flashing that constant, contagious smile and pounding his chest after a big play that gets everybody’s spirits jacked, Graham is arguably the best and most charismatic leader in the Self era and one of the top leaders in Jayhawk history.

“I do think we have a more natural leader than we’ve had in a long time, maybe ever since I’ve been here as far as by example and verbally in Devonte’,” Self said.

Graham is clearly KU’s best player, just like Mason was last year. But Mason was never a verbal leader.

"I'm not sure we pass the torch from Frank to Devonte' from a leadership standpoint. I think we passed the keys to him,” Self said. “But I think that Devonte' has always been a great leader. I think potentially he's as good a leader as we've had because people respect his talent, they respect his work ethic. He's got personality, and he can talk. If you go back and look at Frank, everybody respected his talent, everybody respected his toughness, but that dude never said anything. So I really think Devonte' has the potential to be as good a leader as we've had.”

Graham talked about his growing leadership role.

“Just coming every day in practice with a positive attitude trying to have that energy and get us going,” Graham said. “Off the court, I just be myself, talking and having fun with (everyone). I just feel like we really do get along with each other and really like being with each other. This team, we love each other. It just reflects on the court. I don’t try to go overboard with being a leader, it’s just something that comes.”

The Raleigh, N.C., native said he gets his natural leadership from his beloved mom, Dewanna King, whom he calls his “hero.” Dewanna had Devonte’ when she was just 14 years old and didn’t even know she was pregnant until the seventh month. It was a fearful and unknown time for the teenager, but her mother Doris told her daughter she would definitely have the baby and make the most of motherhood.

Dewanna tirelessly worked two jobs while graduating from high school with 4-year-old Devonte’ proudly walking across the stage with her holding her hand as she received her diploma. With help raising Devonte’ from her mother, Dewanna continued to work and graduated college, all the while trying to make a better life for her young son. Seven years after Devonte’ was born on Feb. 21, 1995, Dewanna welcomed a daughter Shamaria and the family was now complete.

While the three weren’t blessed with much money, they had a house and plenty of real and unconditional love. Dewanna was an extremely strong, determined and inspirational woman who shaped Devonte’s upbringing.

“She’s a single mom,” Devonte’ said. “She’s a real good leader in my life, and my grandmother. Just being around them and seeing how they lead me and my little sister and just in the family, I think it stuck with me.”

Dewanna King taught her son about responsibility, to do his chores, to always be grateful for all his blessings in life. It was a hard lesson at first for young Devonte,’ but he ultimately grew to appreciate his mom’s priceless teachings. So much so that he has a tattoo across his chest that reads: “Forever Grateful.” It is a daily reminder of the profound influence and impact his mom has made in his life.

“She means the world to me,” Graham said. “We talk every single day — facetime. She just raised us (he and Shamaria), her and my grandmother. All three of them mean the world to me. I just go out and play every game for them. Just love them to death.”

Now, as a new year beckons in January, this proud son, grandson and older brother is embracing all it means to be a true student-athlete. Self simply calls Graham the most popular student on campus, something he said even as early as Graham’s first months during his freshman season. In this one-and-done era, Graham truly enjoys college, taking pictures and signing autographs for fans and students, faithfully attending KU volleyball games, participating in class discussion, and heck, even in his down time, this communications major can be found in the student union sitting and talking to his fellow classmates.

“You don’t see many college athletes doing stuff like that,” Self marveled.

In the closing months of his senior year, his swan song, his last shining moment, Graham is seizing every opportunity to make this the best season ever.

“It is kind of surreal, like man, it’s my last year, it went by so fast,” Graham said. “You just got to enjoy every moment, every day, because once you’re gone, you’re gone and you can’t play here again. So every practice, every workout, every game, every road game, you just got to enjoy it and remember it’s really your last one.”

The “last one” and Graham’s final chance to give the KU program and his mom and family the greatest gift of all this March— a trip to the Final Four. Self would rather have no one directing the team’s journey to San Antonio than Graham.

“I trust Devonte' as much as I've trusted any guard that we've had here,” Self said.

This senior, one of the best point guards in KU history who ranks No. 33 all time in school annals in scoring, No. 13 in assists, No. 5 in three-point field goals made and No. 19 in steals, is ready to lead the Jayhawks there after two consecutive setbacks in the Elite Eight. Those losses to Villanova and Oregon ached at Graham. They hurt immensely. The pain lingered. After pushing so hard for so long, he knows no other way to finish his magical career than to be one of the last four teams standing.

“It’s really important to me,” Graham said. “I’ve been right there two years in a row. I feel like it’s right there in arm’s reach and you just got to go get it. I think it would mean a lot to to a lot of people, especially for us. It’s a lifelong dream to be in a Final Four.”

KU Flashback: Jayhawks post first-ever win over Kentucky in 1973

With Kentucky’s victory over Kansas in the national championship game on April 2, the Wildcats now hold a 21-6 all-time series lead. However, before UK's last two wins over KU (the Wildcats also beat KU early this season in November), Kansas had won three straight with five of its six wins coming in the last eight meetings.

In the aftermath of the national title game, I began thinking of KU’s six wins over Kentucky, the players that made the plays and the specifics of each game. In this blog entry, I travel back in time to Dec. 3, 1973 when KU beat the mighty Wildcats for the first time in school history.

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With KU still winless in the overall series to Kentucky (0-5), the Jayhawks looked to get their first victory over the Wildcats in Allen Fieldhouse on Dec. 3, 1973, three days after crushing Murray State, 103-79, in the season opener. KU hit its first 12 shots after halftime in that game and finished the contest with 49 field goals, a school and fieldhouse record.

Now, KU was looking to keep the hot shooting cooking against the Wildcats, who won their opening game against Miami of Ohio, 81-68.

Even though it was just the second game this season, after going just 8-18 last year, this was a game KU needed to win to get its confidence boosted for the long season ahead.

And they did.

Behind 20 points from junior college transfer Roger Morningstar and strong inside play (KU’s frontline scored 62 points), the Jayhawks notched their first-ever win against UK, 72-61. Kentucky forward Kevin Grevey was game-high scorer with 23 points, though the Lawrence Journal-World reported that Morningstar “did a sticky first-half defensive job” on the Wildcats’ star player.

KU led just 31-28 at halftime, but hit 19 of 31 shots in the second half to build its lead. Meanwhile, the Jayhawks held the Wildcats to just 39 percent shooting for the game.

Morningstar was the star — “This is the biggest game I’ve ever played in my life,” he told the Lawrence Journal-World — but he had help this night from post players Danny Knight (17 points) and Rick Suttle (12 points), who hit shots and also put the clamps on Kentucky’s 6-8 big man Bob Guyotte (1 of 7 shots for just four points), UK’s sixth man last year who was pressed into pivot duty this season.

Coach Ted Owens’ game plan was to get the ball inside to test Guyotte.

“Inside was the place we felt we could hurt them,” Owens said.

KU was now 2-0 and riding high after beating the nationally ranked and defending SEC champs.

"I think we beat a good team Saturday in Murray State, but I think it was important for us to beat a ranked basketball team,” Owens said. “I’m very pleased. We were doing the things necessary to win. This team is more and more beginning to understand the things necessary to succeed. Some of the guys have had all the losing they need. We don’t have to lose anymore to learn lessons. They’ve worked awfully hard to become a team so they don’t want to let it slip away.”

KU marched to the Final Four that season with a 23-7 record, the best turnaround in school history and one of the best comebacks in NCAA history after finishing just 8-18 in 1972-73.