Kansas to retire Brandon Rush’s jersey

Brandon Rush KU Career Highlights

2007-08
• Wooden Award All-American
• Final Four All-Tournament Team
• Associated Press Honorable Mention All-American
• Big 12 Tournament Most Outstanding Player
• All-Big 12 First Team
• NABC District 12 First Team
• Phillips 66 co-Big 12 Player of the Week (March 4)

2006-07
• Wooden Award All-American
• NCAA West Regional All-Tournament Team
• Associated Press Honorable Mention All-American
• Big 12 All-Tournament Team
• All-Big 12 First Team by Big 12 Conference
• USBWA District VI
• NABC District 12 First Team
• Naismith Trophy finalist

2005-06
Sporting News All-Freshman Team
• Big 12 Freshman of the Year
• All-Big 12 First Team
• Big 12 All-Rookie Team
• USBWA District VI Player of the Year
• USBWA First Team All-Region
• NABC District 12 Second Team
• Big 12 Rookie of the Week (Jan. 9, Feb. 6, March 6)
• CBS Sportsline Freshman of the Week (Jan. 9)
• Rivals.com Freshman of the Week (Feb. 6)

Photos Brandon Rush Photo Gallery

LAWRENCE, Kan. – Former University of Kansas standout Brandon Rush will have his No. 25 jersey retired at halftime on Feb. 22, 2017, when Kansas hosts TCU in men’s basketball in Allen Fieldhouse.

A three-time All-Big 12 First Team selection in his three seasons at Kansas, Rush was a two-time Wooden Award All-American in 2007 and 2008.

“This is something I knew we would be doing for a long time,” KU head coach Bill Self said. “When Brandon left KU, I knew his jersey would get hung based on what he accomplished here. When I spoke with Brandon about it, he was so thrilled to know his legacy will live here forever.”

“I was excited,” Rush said. “This is a big, big deal to have your number retired in the rafters of the Fieldhouse. There are some greats up there. My former teammate, Mario (Chalmers) is up there. It is a good feeling to know you will have your name up there.

“I still can’t believe it right now,” Rush added. “I came from Kansas City and played down the street from Lawrence. Being able to have my name up there is pretty big in representing my whole family.”

From Kansas City, Missouri, Rush won three Big 12 regular-season titles, three Big 12 postseason championships, advanced to the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight twice and in 2008 won the NCAA National Championship where he was named to the Final Four All-Tournament Team.

“I think of Kansas basketball as a winning program and I was blessed to be a part of it,” Rush said. “I was blessed to have a great coach in Coach Self. I was excited being around that whole environment.”

Rush was the 2006 Big 12 Freshman of the Year in addition to earning Freshman All-America honors by The Sporting News. He was a two-time Big 12 Rookie of the Week and was named national freshman of the week multiple times. As a sophomore he was a Naismith Trophy finalist and a member of the Big 12 Championship All-Tournament Team and the NCAA West Regional All-Tournament Team. As a junior, Rush was the Most Outstanding Player of the 2008 Big 12 Championship.

“Brandon had a terrific three years here,” Self said. “He was first-team all-league all three years and our leading scorer all three years. He was a Wooden Award All-American two years but most importantly he was an unbelievable teammate.”

Rush started 101 of 109 games played and led his team in scoring all three seasons at Kansas averaging 13.5 points in 2005-06, 13.8 points in 2006-07 and 13.3 points in 2007-08. He also led KU in rebounds as a freshman pulling down 5.9 boards per game in 2005-06.

In only three seasons Rush ranks 23rd on the KU career scoring list with 1,477 points. His 205 3-point field goals are fifth all-time at KU and his 43.5 percent from 3-point range ranks third on the KU charts.

Rush was the No. 13 overall pick of the Portland Trailblazers in the 2008 NBA Draft and was immediately traded to the Indiana Pacers where he played for four seasons. He then had stints at Golden State (2011-13) and Utah (2013-14). He returned to Golden State in 2014 and won the NBA title in 2015. Rush is currently in his first season with the Minnesota Timberwolves, along with former KU stalwarts Cole Aldrich and Andrew Wiggins.

“I keep in touch with teammates a lot,” Rush said. “I talk with Mario (Chalmers) every few days. I see Shady (Darrell Arthur) when we play Denver and Sasha (Kaun) when he played in Cleveland last year. I also keep up with Russell (Robinson). It’s hard to talk with every one of them. Cole is on my team, so we talk pretty much every day. It’s important to keep in touch with those guys.”

Rush will be the third No. 25 to be retired and hang in the south end of Allen Fieldhouse. He joins B.H. Born who played at Kansas from 1952-54 and Danny Manning (1985-88).

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