1971 - CRIMSON & BLUE HANDBOOK ARTICLE
Owens began the 1970-71 season with a 12-man team that
included nine returning lettermen and seven players who had started for the
Jayhawks at some point. Led by
All-American Dave Robisch, Kansas streaked to a 25-1 regular-season record, the
best in school history, and went undefeated in league play.
The team joined the 1959 K-State team as the only ones to go through the
eight-team league schedule unbeaten. More
important, KU advanced to the NCAA final Four for the first time in seven years.
In regional play in Wichita, KU beat Houston 78-77 behind
Robisch’s 29 points and Stallworth’s 25.
KU beat Drake 73-71 in the final, as Robisch scored 27 points.
The victory sent KU to Houston for a matchup with five-time NCAA champion
UCLA, ranked No. 1 in the nation at that time.
Although KU and UCLA had the same 27-1 records heading into the game, KU
had struggled, winning its last six games by a total of 13 points, two of them
in overtime. Three days before the
KU-UCLA game, Owens spoke about the matchup:
“I think every coach dreams about how to play UCLA.
Every time I’ve seen them on television, I’ve wondered how to play
them.”
But he didn’t quite figure it out. KU never recovered from a seven-point halftime deficit and lost 68-60. Robisch scored 17 points and Stallworth and Pierre Russell added 12 each as KU’s 21-game winning streak came to an end. Robisch and Stallworth, already named All-Big Eight, were named to the NCAA All-Tournament team.
Source: The Crimson & Blue Handbook, page71-72.