Location -- Kansas City, Mo.

Leading scorer -- N/A.

Final record -- 19-6.

Called the "Pony Express" because of its overall lack of height, the 1939-40 team galloped to the final in only the second year the Final Four was held.

The Jayhawks won a district playoff game against Oklahoma State in Oklahoma City, then beat Rice, 50-44, in what was then called the Western playoff at Kansas City.

It looked like KU had reached the end of its run at that point, as the Jayhawks would face a Southern Cal team that many believed to be the best in the nation.

"I told 'em USC was great but had a reputation of playing just hard enough to win," KU coach Phog Allen said. "Then I said if they had any ideas about things they wanted to try, go ahead and try 'em, don't look at the bench to see if the old man will approve."

The Trojans took a 42-41 lead late, but KU's Howard Engelman scored the winning bucket from the corner with 16 seconds left.

Facing Indiana in the final, the Jayhawks took a 10-4 lead but soon buckled under the Hoosiers' fullcourt press.

"They hit us with a fast break a little different than we'd ever seen," said Engelman, who was selected to the Final Four All-Tournament team along with Allen's son, Bob.

Team members included Dick Harp, who went on to coach the Jayhawks from 1956-64. Harp, a guard on the Final Four team, is among only five people to have played and coached in an NCAA title game.