UConn meets No. 21 Kansas in blue-blood battle

The UConn men’s basketball team got jumped the last time it went to Kansas.

Allen Fieldhouse was impressive and intimidating. The historic building was packed, sweaty and the kind of loud that lingers in your ears the next day. And it took the historic 2023-24 UConn team about five minutes of game time just to settle in. By that point, the eventual national champs were down, 16-5.

With Stephon Castle out and both Donovan Clingan and Cam Spencer playing through foot injuries, Tristen Newton’s 31-point effort led the Huskies back into the game. And, down two with five seconds to play, Spencer had a chance to take the lead – and potentially the game – with a 3-point attempt that missed the mark.

Dan Hurley, who only used seven players in that game, will have a healthier group at his disposal, ready for the environment when the blue-bloods meet again in UConn’s first true road game Tuesday night.

“There’s very few places you play at with anywhere near their level of atmosphere,” Hurley said. “It’s just so unique playing at Kansas. They’re so coordinated and they’ve got such tradition. Places like Kansas, Duke – Cameron Indoor, there’s certain places that you go and play where the home team has a major advantage just because of your inability to communicate, how difficult the environment is, how engaged the fans are from the tip. I mean, they’re loud the entire game, not just when the team’s playing well… There’s communication things defensively, offensively that we’ll try to do. I haven’t played there, but there’s no simulating the actual environment because it’s a rare place to play.”

Hurley said highly-touted freshman Braylon Mullins will be available and center Tarris Reed Jr. will be a game-time decision again “to see how he’s feeling (during) shootaround day of game.” Both returned from their respective ankle injuries on 15-minute restrictions in the top-15 win over Illinois on Friday.

A rare blueblood battle: UConn men’s basketball history vs. Kansas

UConn is looking for its first-ever win over Kansas, which leads the all-time series, 4-0.

“When you play or coach at UConn you hear so much about past teams, past championship teams,” Hurley said. “This year’s team has a chance to do something that none of those great teams (did) – like, if you’re tired of hearing about Donovan Clingan and Steph Castle and Cam Spencer and Tristen Newton, if you’re tired of hearing stories from your coach about what type of players those players were and what types of teams those teams were, then go do something that those teams didn’t do.”

And it will, potentially, take slowing down another one of the best freshmen in the nation, Darryn Peterson.

Kansas coach Bill Self, who has only lost 19 games at Allen Fieldhouse in 23 years at the helm, said Monday that Peterson has returned to practice from the hamstring injury that’s kept him out since Nov. 7, but his status will not be determined by medical staff until the morning of the game. Peterson has only played in two games and averaged 21.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.0 steals in 25 minutes per game.

The Jayhawks have found success in their six games without him, going 5-1 with the loss coming in the Champions Classic to Duke. They won three games in three days at the Players Era Invitational last week, beating Notre Dame, Syracuse and Tennessee to claim the third-place game. Physical forward Flory Bidunga is the leading scorer outside of Peterson at 15.8 points per game in addition to his 8.4 rebounds and 2.6 blocks. Senior guards Tre White and Melvin Council Jr. are averaging 14.4 points and 6.4 rebounds, and 10.8 points and 5.3 assists, respectively.

“Guy’s a monster,” Hurley said of Bidunga, who will be a handful for the Huskies’ frontcourt. “In the most complimentary way in terms of his rebounding and his finishing around the basket, his athleticism, his length shot-blocking, his ability to get to his right shoulder when you’re trying to take away his right shoulder. He reminds me of Adama (Sanogo) in a way, one’s righty and one’s lefty, but it just seems like the guy wants to dominate around the basket and he wants to eat the glass, finish in the paint, at the rim. He’s content to be a dominant player around the basket and he’s relentless and he jumps so quick. It’s a great challenge for a young Eric Reibe and a less-than-100% Tarris Reed, and an undersized Dwayne Koroma.”

High praise from Self

Bill Self had nothing but nice things to say about the UConn program when he spoke to reporters in Lawrence on Monday. The Huskies opened as 1 1/2-point favorites on the road.

“They’re the best that we’ll probably play against this year as far as offensive movement,” Self said of the Huskies. “…You watch the Illinois game and they make you make plays. They’re physical, and of course we’ve got to be able to jump up and make some shots, too, because you’re not gonna get a ton of wide open looks, but when you get them, you better take advantage of it… What they’ve done (over the years) is ridiculously impressive and what Danny’s done in his time there has been unprecedented almost. So, a lot of respect and they’re gonna be in the mix most every year I would think – and when I say in the mix, I’m saying competing to play on the Monday night (Final Four weekend).”

What to know

Site: Allen Fieldhouse, Lawrence, Kan.

Time: 9 p.m.

Records: No. 5 UConn: 6-1, No. 21 Kansas: 6-2

Series: Kansas leads, 4-0

Last meeting: Dec. 1, 2023 – Kansas 69, UConn 65 at Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence

TV: ESPN2 – Jon Sciambi, Fran Fraschilla

Radio: UConn Sports Network on FOX Sports Radio 97-9 – Mike Crispino, Wayne Norman

Pregame reading: