Player Ratings to the Theme of Jayhawk Logos

Today’s player ratings are based on the logos that KU has used throughout their history. No one will argue (unless you cheer for a rival school, and in that case you probably can’t envision yourself complimenting KU in any way) that the Jayhawk is one of the most iconic logos in all of sports. As an added bonus, this will be a combination platter so to speak. We’re combining the effort of the last two games in one packed ratings post. So, let’s rank the player according to the various logos in KU’s illustrious history.

5 Stars: 1941 Angry Jayhawk

This logo is the only redeeming quality that I can find for the otherwise useless Kansas football program. They found a way to utilize this most awesome and fear inducing of the Jayhawks. That bird is not messing around! C’mon KU, let’s use this bad boy on more stuff and incorporate it throughout the athletic department as a secondary logo or something. Who’s on board with me?

Udoka Azubuike. The man was a monster against the Mountaineers, racking up 21 points on seven of eight shooting from the field and knocking down an additional seven free throws. Against OU, Dok put in 10 points in only 18 minutes, but was a major influencer when he was out there.

Devonte Graham. Seemed to will KU to the win against WVU with 15/7/8 and was a dominant force against OU. He scored 23 points, dished out seven assists, and made Trae Young look pedestrian all night.

4.5 Stars: Current Logo

A classic. Instantly recognizable. I know I’ll get some trouble down in the comments section for this comment, but when KU switched from the state of Kansas at half court to the giant Jayhawk, the look of James Naismith Court improved dramatically. There are very few logos in college sports that are as easily recognizable as our current Jayhawk.

Malik Newman. Played defense like a man against West Virginia and drilled the game tying three that brought Allen Fieldhouse to its feet. Against OU, his offense was the story. He was four of six from three and finished with 20 points.

Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk was back to his old self against OU. He drained four of six from three and was taking the ball to the rim with authority again. Against the Mountaineers, Svi moved the ball better, but only took two shots from the floor. Finished that one with four assists and three steals.

4 Stars: Circus Font

I miss circus font, but Kansas has done a great job of incorporating this iconic font into the retro “Phog” uniforms. I always seem to see circus font used on various KU t-shirts and apparel.

Lagerald Vick. We started to see the old Vick creep back out against West Virginia, and he was on full display against the Sooners. Finished with 17 points, including hitting 75% from downtown. He also has some ups in case you haven't noticed.

Silvio De Sousa. Was this a coming out party for KU’s big should-be high school senior? He scored 10 points and had three offensive rebounds, even showing some awareness that he previously didn't possess on his set play score. Perhaps it was OU’s “defense” that made him look so good, but maybe, just maybe, he can become a useful tool going into the rest of this season.

3.5 Stars: 1912 Original Jayhawk

Call me a homer, but I love the original Jayhawk with his left leg crossed over his right. It’s a throwback to a simpler time. Side note: I have a hat with this logo on it and I really like the hat.

Mitch Lightfoot. Azubuike took all the (not referee) headlines on Saturday, but Mitch’s initial few minutes of the OU game more than earn him this rating. Three blocks in about a minute and a slam off a screen.

Marcus Garrett. Eight points against West Virginia is nice, but man, are this kid’s hands active or what? He’s going to be a nightmare to play against in the next three seasons.

3 Stars: 1923 Jayhawk

This thing kind of looks like the designer just blobbed some red and blue and yellow together and made a bird shaped thing. That said, the Jayhawk is happy, and as per usual with the three star items, it probably sits squarely in the middle for many of you. Good, not great.

Everyone else. I’m just putting all the reserves right here. Yep, they get a three star rating because Kansas just beat West Virginia and Oklahoma in back to back games in completely different ways. Three stars to Sam Cunliffe, James Sosinski, Chris Teahan, and Clay Young.

2 Stars: 1929 Semi-Angry Jayhawk

This one I don’t get. For one, he has no pupils. Two, the body is just weird. The only reason that this Jayhawk isn’t last is because its semi-angry look gave way to the true cream of the crop, the 1941 angry Jayhawk.

1 Star: 1920 Perched Bird

Why? There’s a reason that this logo only survived for three years, the shortest of any of the iterations of the iconic bird.

Luckily, no Kansas player was as bad as the 1929 Semi-Angry Jayhawk and the 1920 Perched Bird. But it’s all semantics because as Jayhawks, we would love to see a uniform element with any of these logos plastered on them.