The Jayhawks' first coach was the inventor of the game of basketball, James Naismith. Of the 24 seasons the Big 12 conference has been in existence, Kansas has won at least a share of 19 Regular Season Conference titles. The Jayhawks had been ranked in the AP poll for 232 consecutive polls, a streak that had stretched from the poll released on Februpoll through the poll released on February 8, 2021, which is the longest streak in AP poll history. They were also, along with Dartmouth, the first team to appear in multiple NCAA Tournaments after making their second appearance in the 1942 tournament. The Jayhawks also own the NCAA record for most consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances with an active streak of 31 consecutive appearances. Kansas is the all-time consecutive conference titles record holder with 14 consecutive titles, a streak that ran from 2005 through 2018. Kansas is considered one of the most prestigious college basketball programs in the country with 5 overall National Championships (3 NCAA Tournament championships and 2 Helms National Championships), as well being a National Runner-Up six times and having the most conference titles in the nation. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I and the team competes in the Big 12 Conference. The Kansas Jayhawks men's basketball program is the intercollegiate men's basketball program of the University of Kansas.

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