1988 & 2008 Kansas Basketball National Championship comparison

1988

• Danny Manning leads KU to the title
• Larry Brown in 5^th year as KU coach
• Vanderbilt & K-State in Midwest bracket
• 1^st & 2^nd rounds in Lincoln, NE
• Sweet 16 & Elite 8 in Pontiac, MI
• Higher seeded teams fall early to pave way for KU
• Regional Final opponent: K-State Wildcats
• KU underdog in Final Four to ACC opponent: Duke
• KU underdog in Final to Oklahoma
• Biggest rival: Missouri (MU) Tigers\
• Ed Hightower refs National Championship game
• KU never ranked #1 during regular season

 2008

• Danny Manning is assistant coach
• Bill Self in 5^th year as KU coach
• Vanderbilt & K-State in Midwest bracket
• 1^st & 2^nd rounds in Omaha, NE
• Sweet 16 & Elite 8 in Detroit, MI
• Higher seeded teams fall early to pave way for KU
• Regional Final opponent: Davidson Wildcats
• KU underdog in Final Four to ACC opponent: North Carolina
• KU underdog in Final to Memphis
• Finals opponent: MU Tigers
• Ed Hightower refs National Championship game
• KU never ranked #1 during regular season