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What's in a number? Well, if it's worn by a Kansas University basketball player, it certainly generates more interest than most.

Any basketball program with as much tradition as Kansas is bound to be steeped in numerical glory. Anyone who has been in Allen Fieldhouse, for instance, has seen the retired jerseys hanging high above the south windows.

Many more Kansas jersey numbers have not been retired, of course, and that's what this, with special thanks to the KU sports information office, is all about.

For starters, how about 00? Double zero has been worn by only two Kansas basketball players down through the years and both of them became first-round NBA draft choices.

Norm Cook was the Boston Celtics' No. 1 selection in 1975 and Greg Ostertag was a first-round pick of the Utah Jazz in 1995. Ostertag, incidentally, continues to wear 00 with the Jazz.

In the NBA, as you probably know, a player can use just about any number he wants as long as it doesn't go to three digits. Chicago's wacky Dennis Rodman, for example, wears No. 91 and Washington's goony Gheorghe Muresan uses No. 77.

In the college ranks, however, exactly 34 numbers are available. Time was when there were many more but, prior to the 1957-58 season, the college rules committee banned the use of any jersey with the numbers 6, 7, 8 and 9. Also abolished were Nos. 1 and 2.

In other words, the only single digits a college player can wear are 3, 4 and 5. Kansas has a player wearing one of those numbers now. Sophomore guard Ryan Robertson uses No. 4.

How rare are single-digits at Kansas? Robertson and Terry Brown (3) are the only Jayhawks who have worn them in the 1990s. Not a single player used a single digit in the '80s. You have to go all the way back to Clint Johnson who wore No. 3 from 1975-78.

You'd think No. 5 would be a popular number ­ George Brett made it famous in Kansas City ­ but the last notable Jayhawk to use No. 5 was Charlie Hoag on the NCAA championship team of 1951-52. Still, No. 5 has been popular with walk-ons. Scott Novosel used it a couple of years ago and Terry Nooner has it now.

One jersey number that's anathema to many athletes is No. 13. Superstitious types won't touch it because they consider it unlucky.

It sure wasn't unlucky to Wilt Chamberlain and John Douglas, though. Chamberlain scored a school-record 52 points while wearing that jersey number in 1956 and Douglas scored 46 points ­ the third-highest single-game total ­ while wearing No. 13 in 1977 against Iowa State.

Still, no Jayhawk of note has donned No. 13 since Carl Henry wore it during the 1983-84 season.

Incidentally, the second-highest single-game point total by a Kansas player is the 50-point outburst by Bud Stallworth against Missouri in 1972.

Stallworth wore No. 15, a number he inherited from Jo Jo White. Thus No. 15 has something in common with 00 because Stallworth and White, like Cook and Ostertag, were NBA first-round draft choices.

Can you guess the most popular Kansas uniform number?

It's No. 24. At least 11 noteworthy Jayhawks have opted for the double dozen. Among them are Al Correll, Alonzo Jamison, Chris Piper, Ken Koenigs, Kelly Knight and currently C.B. McGrath.

Among KU basketball players, the least popular numbers have been the six that start with a five. Take Nos. 50 and 53. Please. No notable Jayhawk ever has. At the same time, Eric Pauley is the lone No. 51, the late Danny Knight the sole No. 52 and Art Housey the only No. 54.

Kansas has had four players don No. 55, but none since Roger Brown on the 1971 NCAA Final Four team.

Curiously, no Jayhawk has worn, for whatever reasons, No. 41 and Macolm Nash is the Lone Ranger of No. 43.

Here are some other numerical minutiae: