Kansas Basketball: 15 greatest scorers in Jayhawks history

Greatest scorers in Kansas basketball history: 10. Nick Collison

As good as Drew Gooden and Wayne Simien were, Nick Collison was a consistent producer for Kansas throughout his illustrious four-year career that ended with two straight Final Four appearances.

The 6-foot-9 big man’s production gradually improved over during his time in Lawrence, but some of that came with opportunity. An instant starter, Collison averaged 10.5 points per game as a freshman, 14.0 as a sophomore, 15.6 as a junior and 18.5 as a senior.

In total, he finished his career with 2,097 points, which is second in school history (he’s also third in rebounds and blocks).

Collison wasn’t flashy, but was incredibly skilled in the post, using a variety of moves to get past defenders and often slam the ball through the net.

Collison also had a knack for playing his best when his best was needed.

During KU’s Final Four run in 2002, he recorded three double-doubles, including a 25-point, 15-rebound performance against Oregon in the Elite Eight and a 21-point, 10-rebound outing against eventual national champion Maryland in the Final Four. In 2003, he averaged 18.7 points and 13.5 rebounds per game in the NCAA Tournament.

After winning Big 12 Player of the year and being a consensus First-Team All-American in 2003, Collison was drafted No. 12 overall by the then-Seattle SuperSonics and had a 14-year career as a role player.

His No. 4 is retired by both Kansas and the Oklahoma City Thunder.