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Kansas Basketball Releases 1988 Throwback Uniforms Ahead of Matchup vs. Duke

The Kansas Jayhawks will be wearing new threads against Duke that pay homage to one of the greatest teams in Kansas basketball history.
Dillon Davis|
Malcolm Emmons-Imagn Images

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Kansas Jayhawks

The Kansas Jayhawks will be donning a new look with some old flavor when they face off against Duke inside Madison Square Garden on Tuesday night.  

In a post on social media, KU revealed that the team will be wearing their “Kansas Retro 1988 Uniforms” which pay tribute to the '88 national championship team led by former head coach Larry Brown and Kansas basketball legend Danny Manning.

The jersey and shorts feature a crimson and yellow trim against a blue background. Kansas is spelled out on the front of the jerseys in white with crimson borders in what appears to be an older variation of the circus font style.

The shorts have just the letter “K” on them in white in circus font, as well as a square, gold colored patch on the waist band resembling a blueprint drawing of James Naismith Court inside Allen Fieldhouse.

Kansas forward Bryson Tiller helped debut the fresh new look in a video following a replay of former KU broadcaster Bob Davis’ famous “the dream is real” call of the Jayhawks winning the ’88 title.

The 1988 team, referred to now as “Danny and the Miracles,” made one of the greatest championship runs in NCAA Tournament history.

The Jayhawks entered the tournament as a No. 6 seed with a 21-11 record overall and toppled team after team to win the school’s second NCAA Championship at the time.

One of the opponents during KU’s title run happened to be the Duke Blue Devils, whom the Jayhawks beat 66-59 in the Final Four in front of a KU-friendly crowd inside Kemper Arena in Kansas City, Missouri.

It was KU’s first-ever win against Duke after losing the previous three contests, including a heartbreaking loss in the 1986 Final Four.

To this day, the 11 losses remain the most of any team ever to win the NCAA Division I Championship in men’s college basketball history. And only two schools have ever won the NCAA Tournament with a lower seeding: the No. 8 seed Villanova Wildcats in 1985 and the No. 7 seed UConn Huskies in 2014.

Needless to say, these new jerseys pay respect to one of the greatest teams in Kansas basketball history. And the best way this year’s KU team can honor their predecessors, is to beat the Duke Blue Devils once more.  

The throwback jerseys are available to purchase at the Allen Fieldhouse and 23rd Street Rally House locations or online.

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Dillon Davis
DILLON DAVIS

A Topeka native and lifelong Jayhawk, Dillon Davis was born into the fandom during a Kansas basketball NCAA Tournament run in the early ‘90s. Since graduating from the University of Kansas in 2014, he has channeled that passion into sportswriting, contributing thousands of stories to the KU beat since 2018. Following tenures at Armchair Media and Fansided, Dillon joined Kansas on SI in May 2025 to bring his unique storytelling and deep-rooted perspective to Jayhawk fans across the country. KC Sports Network is the premier destination for Kansas City sports fans with podcasts, YouTube and social media content. Stay connected with the latest news and analysis by following KCSN on all social media platforms.

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