Where Ochai Agbaji’s 37-point scoring spree ranks in KU Jayhawks’ basketball records

Kansas senior guard Ochai Agbaji scored a career-high 37 points — eight more than his previous high reached against both Kansas State on Saturday in Manhattan and Michigan State on Nov. 9 in New York — in the Jayhawks’ 94-91 double-overtime men’s basketball victory over Texas Tech on Monday at Allen Fieldhouse.

To put things in perspective, Agbaji’s 37 points (on 13-of-23 shooting, 7-of-12 from three, 4-of-8 from the line) were the most points scored by a KU player in a home game in more than 30 years — since shooting guard Terry Brown posted 42 points in a 105-94 victory over North Carolina State on Jan. 5, 1991.

Agbaji’s 37 points were the third-most points put up by any KU player in any game — home, away or neutral site — in the 19-year Bill Self era.

Andrew Wiggins scored 41 points in KU’s 92-86 road loss to West Virginia on March 8, 2014 in Morgantown. Elijah Johnson had 39 points — one bucket more than Agbaji — in KU’s 108-96 overtime win at Iowa State on Feb. 25, 2013 in Ames.

According to KU records, only Wilt Chamberlain, Bud Stallworth, Danny Manning, Walt Wesley and Terry Brown have had higher scoring games than Agbaji for KU in Allen Fieldhouse.

Chamberlain scored a school-record 52 points against Northwestern on Dec. 3, 1956. In other home games, Chamberlain scored 46 against Nebraska on Feb. 8, 1958, 40 against Colorado on March 9, 1957 and 39 against Marquette on Dec. 8, 1956.

Stallworth scored 50 points in the fieldhouse against Missouri on Feb. 26, 1972. Manning scored 40 points against Notre Dame on Feb. 7, 1987 and 39 versus Iowa State on Feb. 13, 1988, both in Allen. Wesley scored 42 points against Loyola Chicago on Dec. 12, 1964 and 39 against Iowa State on Jan. 8, 1966. Brown hit a school-record 11 threes en route to his 42 points versus the Wolfpack in 1991.

Agbaji’s 37 points tied for 11th most of any KU men’s player.

Some other notable scoring games by KU players: 46 points by John Douglas against Iowa State on Feb. 16, 1977 in Ames; 44 points by B.H. Born against Colorado on March 2, 1953 in KU’s Hoch Auditorium; Clyde Lovellette 44 points versus Saint Louis on March 22, 1952 in the NCAA Tournament in Kansas City as well as 42 points at SMU on Dec. 14, 1951; Ron Kellogg 39 points against Nebraska on Feb. 2, 1985 in Lincoln and Dave Robisch 39 points against Iowa State on Jan. 26, 1970 in Ames.

Chamberlain, by the way, also had a 45-point game against Colorado on Dec. 9, 1956 in Kansas City. He scored 41 versus Oklahoma on Dec. 26, 1957 and 38 versus Kansas State on Dec. 30, 1957, both those games also in Kansas City.

Agbaji hit a career-best seven three-pointers in Monday’s win over Texas Tech. That ties for second most threes in a conference game in KU history and third in any game in KU history.

Billy Thomas hit eight threes against Texas on Jan. 10, 1998 in Austin, Texas for the most in a regular-season conference game in KU history. Mario Chalmers made eight threes versus Texas in a Big 12 Tournament game on March 16, 2008 in KC. Lagerald Vick made eight threes against Vermont on Nov. 12, 2018 at Allen. There have been 11 games in which individual Jayhawks players have hit seven threes, including Agbaji’s performance on Monday. Brown is single-game KU record holder with 11 treys versus N.C. State.

Oklahoma’s Buddy Hield and Kansas State’s Mike Wroblewski share the record for most points scored by an opponent in Allen Fieldhouse. Hield had 46 points in Oklahoma’s 109-106 triple OT loss to KU on Jan. 4, 2016. Wroblewski had 46 in a 91-72 Wildcats win on Feb. 7, 1962. Randy Rutherford of Oklahoma State scored 45 points in KU’s 78-62 win over the Cowboys on March 5, 1995 in the fieldhouse.

Lindsey Hunter of Jackson State scored the most points ever in a game versus KU — 48 points in an 93-85 loss to the Jayhawks on Dec. 27, 1992 in Honolulu.

Also regarding the opposition ... since 2010, 15 opposing players have scored 30-plus points against KU. It had never happened in consecutive games until this past week. Kansas State’s Nigel Pack scored 35 points in the Jayhawks’ 78-75 win over the Wildcats on Saturday in Manhattan. Tech’s Bryson Williams followed that with 33 points on Tuesday at Allen Fieldhouse.

As far as high-scoring outings by KU foes in the fieldhouse since 2010 … Hield’s 46-point game in 2016 is first, followed by 33-point outings from WIlliams, UCLA’s Tyler Honeycutt (33 on Dec. 2, 2010) and Texas’ J’Covan Brown (33 on March 3, 2012).

In the Self era, Iowa State’s Craig Brackins scored 42 points in KU’s 82-67 victory over the Cyclones on Jan. 24, 2009 in Ames; Missouri’s Thomas Gardner had 40 in the Tigers’ 89-86 victory over KU on Jan. 16, 2006 in Columbia; KSU’s Michael Beasley scored 39 points in KU’s 88-74 victory on March 1, 2008 in Allen; KSU’s Jacob Pullen had 38 in KU’s 84-68 loss on Feb. 14, 2011 in Manhattan.

Also, Ben Woodside of North Dakota State scored 37 points in KU’s 84-74 win on March 20, 2009 in Minneapolis in the NCAA Tournament; Texas’ Kevin Durant scored 37 points in KU’s 88-84 overtime win in the Big 12 tourney on March 11, 2007 in Oklahoma City and Arthur Johnson of Missouri cashed 37 points in MU’s 84-82 loss to KU on March 7, 2004 in Columbia.

Self said after Monday’s win over Tech that Agbaji’s performance might have been the best of any Jayhawk in Self’s years at KU. The No. 13 Red Raiders are known for rugged defense.

“I don’t know if any individual can play better,” Self said of Agbaji. “I told him, ‘I don’t remember us ever having a player play better than that.’’’

Agbaji acknowledged it was the best game he’s ever played on any level.

“Yes, I have to admit, yeah,” he said with a smile.

Agbaji said no matter how many points he scores in a game, he’s determined to credit others.

“Thats the way I am. That’s the way I am going to stay,” he said. “I’m not going to be here gloating about it. I’m always going to give credit to my teammates. I wouldn’t have gotten any points without them. It’s always going to be because of them. That’s just the person I am.”

35-point games by KU men’s basketball players

As compiled by KU

Player Date Opponent Points

Wilt Chamberlain 12/3/56 Northwestern 52

Bud Stallworth 02/26/72 Missouri 50

John Douglas 02/16/77 @ Iowa State 46

Wilt Chamberlain 2/8/58 Nebraska 46

Wilt Chamberlain 12/9/56 vs. Colorado 45

B.H. Born 03/2/53 Colorado 44

Clyde Lovellette 03/22/52 vs. Saint Louis 44

Terry Brown 01/5/91 NC State 42

Danny Manning 03/15/87 Missouri State 42

Walter Wesley 12/12/64 Loyola (Chicago) 42

Clyde Lovellette 12/14/51 @ SMU 42

Andrew Wiggins 03/08/14 @ West Virginia 41

Wilt Chamberlain 12/26/57 vs. Oklahoma 41

Danny Manning 02/8/87 Notre Dame 40

Wilt Chamberlain 3/9/57 Colorado 40

Wilt Chamberlain 12/9/57 vs. Marquette 40

Elijah Johnson 02/25/13 @ Iowa State 39

Danny Manning 02/13/88 Iowa State 39

Ron Kellogg 02/2/85 @ Nebraska 39

Dave Robisch 01/26/70 @ Iowa State 39

Walt Wesley 01/08/66 vs. Iowa State 39

Wilt Chamberlain 12/8/56 Marquette 39

Danny Manning 03/25/88 vs. Vanderbilt 38

Dave Robisch 01/31/70 @ Colorado 38

Wilt Chamberlain 12/30/57 vs. Kansas State 38

Ochai Agbaji 01/24/22 Texas Tech 37

Danny Manning 02/27/88 @ Missouri 37

Wilt Chamberlain 12/20/57 Washington 37

Wilt Chamberlain 12/15/56 @ Washington 37

Ben McLemore 03/02/13 West Virginia 36

Tony Guy 03/15/81 vs. Arizona State 36

Dave Robisch 12/1/69 Marshall 36

Wayne Hightower 02/13/61 Missouri 36

Wilt Chamberlain 3/15/57 @ SMU 36

Wilt Chamberlain 2/12/57 Oklahoma State 36

Wilt Chamberlain 12/28/56 vs. Oklahoma 36

Devonte’ Graham 12/02/17 vs. Syracuse 35

Devonte’ Graham 11/28/17 Toledo 35

Danny Manning 03/2/85 Oklahoma State 35

Wilt Chamberlain 01/18/58 @ Missouri 35