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#KU50: 1 Wilt Chamberlain

Wilt was a legend even in high school, playing professional games under an assumed name. He certainly could have played in the NBA as a teenager. (He played KU center B.H. Born, the 1953 NCAA tournament MOP, in a game of 1-on-1 and beat him so bad Born quit basketball).

Wilt’s debut on the freshman team saw him score 42 points and grab 29 rebounds against KU’s varsity team. His actual KU debut saw him score 52 points and grab 31 rebounds in a KU win over Northwestern, both KU records. Kansas made the national championship game in Chamberlain’s first year, losing in triple overtime to North Carolina despite Wilt’s 23 points and 14 rebounds (the game ended 54-53).