The Jayhawks rolled to an 11-1 record for the Big Seven title, falling only to Kansas State, 81-64 at Manhattan.  When KU won the rematch in Lawrence, the Jayhawks moved into the league for good and Allen evened his career rivalry with K-State coach Jack Gardner at 10 wins apiece.  KU also won its first Big Seven tournament crown.  One of the season’s biggest wins, however, came against Henry Iba’s Oklahoma A&M (later Oklahoma State).  The Aggies had beaten KU in the teams’ first meeting 49-45, KU’s only other regular-season loss.  But when they met in Lawrence on Feb. 19, the Jayhawks won 66-46, giving Allen his 700^th career victory, more than 100 ahead of any contemporary.

KU met Texas Christian in the first round of the NCAA Regional in Kansas City and won 68-64 after leading TCU by as many as 17 points late in the game.  Next up was St. Louis, and Lovellette exploded for an NCAA tournament single-game record 44 points to take KU from a 27-27 halftime tie to a 74-55 rout in the regional final.  Lovellette stayed hot, scoring 33 points as KU beat Santa Clara 74-55 in the NCAA semifinals in Seattle, setting up the championship game against St. John’s.  Lovellette again scored 33 points, and Bill Lienhard and Robert Kenney added 12 apiece as the Jayhawks romped 80-63.  KU had  won its first NCAA championship in what was, at that time, the most lopsided final in tournament history.

And the season was not over.  KU went back to Kansas City to face the Springfield Missouri State Teachers (later Southest Missouri State) in the first round of the Olympic playoffs.  The Jayhawks won 92-65, establishing a new single-game scoring record.  The NIT champion, LaSalle, was next, and KU won 70-65 in the semifinals at Madison Square Garden as Lovellette scored 40 points.  The win over LaSalle had assured the Jayhawks of placing seven players on the Olympic squad, and KU met the AAU champion Peoria Caterpill-Diesels in the Olympic finals to determine who would coach the team in Helsinki.  Peoria won the final eight seconds when Howie Williams, a former Purdue guard, hit a short jumper to break a 60-60 tie.  Peoria coach Warren Womble was named the Olympic coach, and Allen was named an assistant.

Allen had kept his promise.  The seven Jayhawks on the Olympic team that won the gold medal in Helsinki were: Lovellette, Kenney, Kelley, Lienhard, Hougland, Hoag and Keller.

Source: The Crimson & Blue Handbook, pages 44-46.

KU’s 1951-52 team was the toast of the nation, as 6’9 Clyde Lovellette led the senior-laden Jayhawks to the NCAA title, and then to an Olympic gold medal in Helsinki.

Arguably the best team in Kansas history, the high marks of the season were: 1) a season record of 28-3, 2) Big 7 conference and pre-season tournament champions, 3) NCAA champions (the first for the Big 7 conference), 4) national player of the year and scoring champion in Lovellette, who established seven individual NCAA records, 5) national coach of the year, as F. C. “Phog” Allen reached his 700^th victory during the season, and 6) seven Olympic team members, a right earned by KU surging all the way to the Olympic playoff finals,

Assisting Lovellette were good outside shooters.  Senior Bob “Trigger” Kenney, a 6’2 forward averaged 13.1 ppg, while other starters Bill Hougland, Dean Kelley and Bill Leinhard added 19 ppg.  They were joined on the Olympic team by Charlie Hoag and John Keller.  Dean Smith, long time North Carolina coach, played in 19 games as a reserve that season.

1952 You Tube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVPOnPP8vOM&feature=related