In Kansas's 83–79 victory over Oklahoma in the 1988 NCAA Final, Manning recorded 31 points, 18 rebounds, 5 steals, and 2 blocked shots. For his seemingly single-handed performance in propelling the underdog Jayhawks to the title, as well as KU's unremarkable record going into the NCAA tournament (21–11, most losses of any NCAA champion), the 1988 Kansas team was nicknamed "Danny and the Miracles" and Manning was honored as Most Outstanding Player in the tournament. A two-time All-American while at KU, Manning was later named the Big Eight Player of the Decade. Kansas retired his famous #25 in February of 1992. He is the twelfth all-time leading scorer in NCAA Basketball history behind Oscar Robertson.