Coached by Dick Harp, the Jayhawks posted a 24–3 win–loss record, winning the then-Big Seven Conference and qualifying for the 1957 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament.
The previous coach, Phog Allen, had been forced to leave the program due to an enforced retirement age in place at the school.
Expectations for the team were high entering the season; Allen said of the Jayhawks' new player that "Anybody could win the national championship with Wilt Chamberlain and four cheerleaders.
[12] With a field goal percentage of almost 60 percent, the Jayhawks posted an 80–56 win to advance to the championship game against undefeated North Carolina, the number one-ranked team in the country.
[13] The Tar Heels defeated the Jayhawks 54–53 in triple overtime; North Carolina's Joe Quigg made the tying and go-ahead free throws in the final seconds.
[16] The film featured former Jayhawk basketball player Scot Pollard and Justin Wesley, who was on the roster at the time of the release.