USA250: 10 greatest college athletes from Kansas

The state of Kansas may is most well-known as a haven of college basketball, with the University of Kansas hiring Dr.

James Naismith as the school's first men's basketball coach in 1898.

But the state features more than just basketball stars among its illustrious history of star college athletes.

While USA TODAY's top-10 college athletes to play in the state include a majority of Jayhawks, it also features standouts from Wichita State and Kansas State , giving full Division I representation for the state.

PATH TO PLAYOFF: Sign up for our college football newsletter Kansas and Kansas State have both had stretches of dominance in the Big 12 and Big Eight as founding members of both conferences.

The Jayhawks, meanwhile, are one of the most nationally dominant programs ever in men's basketball.

Here's a look at USA TODAY's top-10 college athletes from the state of Kansas, in honor of America's 250th anniversary: 10 greatest college athletes from Kansas Wilt Chamberlain, Kansas Wilt Chamberlain is the most obvious player on this list.

The 7-foot-1 center is one of the greatest players in basketball history, and his dominance started at Kansas.

Chamberlain was a consensus All-American in both his seasons with the varsity roster after averaging a ridiculous 29.9 points with 18.3 rebounds per game.

He likely had plenty of blocks, too, though they weren't a recorded stat as of his college career from 1956-58.

Chamberlain, of course, is most famous for scoring 100 points in an NBA game, the most by a player ever.

He was a four-time NBA MVP, two time Finals winner and a seven-time first-team All-NBA selection as a professional.

Sayers is in both the College Football and Pro Football Hall of Fame and was a two-time consensus All-American in 1963 and 1964.

His No.

48 jersey is retired by the Jayhawks, and his 93-yard touchdown return as a senior in 1964 helped lead Kansas to an improbably 15-14 upset of Oklahoma.

Sayers was a five-time first-team All-Pro with the Chicago Bears, leading the NFL in rushing yards twice and leading the league in scoring once.

Danny Manning, Kansas Danny Manning achieved basically everything a player could during his college career at Kansas.

Manning was a three-time All-American, leading Kansas to a national championship in 1988 while winning both national player of the year and Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four.

Manning is still Kansas' all-time leading scorer, with per-game averages of 23.9 and 24.8 as a junior and senior, respectively.

He was also selected No.

1 overall in the 1988 NBA Draft.

Clyde Lovellette, Kansas The first basketball player to achieve the triple crown, Kansas legend Clyde Lovellette won an NCAA national championship, an NBA Finals and a gold medal in the Olympics in his career.

Lovellette also starred for the Jayhawks: The three-time All-American led the NCAA in scoring in 1952 and was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four in the same season after Kansas won the national title.

He averaged 28.4 points per game as a senior, but raised his total to 35.1 points per game in the NCAA Tournament.

He was also the first player in NCAA history to score 40 or more points in a postseason game.

PROGRAM RANKINGS : Top 25 | Big Ten | SEC | ACC | Big 12 Michael Bishop, Kansas State Michael Bishop started his career at Blinn Junior College and eventually earned numerous Division I offers, but Kansas State was the only one to offer him as a quarterback and not a defensive back.

It was the correct decision, as he won the Davey O'Brien Award in 1998 and was a consensus All-America pick, finishing runner-up to Ricky Williams for the 1998 Heisman Trophy.

He passed for 2,833 yards with 23 passing touchdowns to five interceptions, also rushing for 748 yards and 14 touchdowns.

Lynette Woodard, Kansas Former Kansas standout Lynette Woodard is a basketball legend.

She's a member of both the Basketball Hall of Fame and Women's Basketball Hall of Fame, and was a true trailblazer in the sport.

Woodard was the first woman to play with the Harlem Globetrotters after four-year career with the Jayhawks.

She earned All-America honors in each of her four collegiate seasons, averaging 26.2 points per game.

She was formerly the women's college basketball all-time scoring leader for her efforts in AIAW until Caitlin Clark broke her record in 2024.

Al Oerter, Kansas Two-time national champion Al Oerter is one of the greatest discus throwers of all time, becoming the first athlete to win a gold medal in the same Olympic event in four consecutive competitions from 1956-1968.

He broke his own Olympic record in each of his four Olympics, too.

At Kansas, he was the only athlete to ever win nine titles in same event at the Drake relays.

He had the 38 best discus throws in Big Seven history at the time he graduated.

Darren Sproles, Kansas State Sproles was the definition of an offensive weapon at Kansas State, even though he stands at only 5-foot-6.

The first-team All-American in 2003 led the NCAA in rushing yards that season, finishing fifth in Heisman Trophy voting after rushing for 1,986 yards with 16 touchdowns, along with 25 receptions for 287 yards and two scores.

Sproles ran for 4,979 yards with 45 rushing scores in his career before he was selected in the fourth round of the 2005 NFL Draft.

He went on to set an NFL record for all-purpose yards in a season with 2,696 yards in 2011, and was a second-team All-Pro in 2014.

Joe Carter, Wichita State Joe Carter rakes.

The 1981 national player of the year finished his career with 58 total home runs and a .430 batting average before he was selected No.

2 overall in the 1981 MLB draft.

The three-time All-American is still the Wichita State all-time leader for batting average and slugging (.788).

He was also a dual-sport athlete as a freshman in 1979, playing football until shifting his focus to solely baseball.

Carter is most famous for his walk-off home run to win the World Series for the Toronto Blue Jays in 1993.

He hit 396 career home runs in MLB across 16 seasons.

Michael Beasley, Kansas State Michael Beasley's NBA career wasn't as successful as his one season at Kansas State.

It doesn't take away from his dominance for the Wildcats in 2007-08.

Beasley averaged 26.2 points per game (third nationally) and 12.4 rebounds per game (first nationally) as a true freshman, earning consensus first-team All-America status.

The eventual No.

2 overall pick in 2008 led the nation in double-doubles (28) and 40-point games (three) as a true freshman.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: USA250: 10 greatest college athletes from Kansas.