Basketball has often been described as “a game of runs.” Friday’s marquee matchup between the UConn Huskies and Kansas Jayhawks proved to be no exception. This back-and-forth battle was arguably the most anticipated out-of-conference matchup this year , with many storylines taking place. As two of the best bigs in the sport, the matchup between Donovan Clingan and Hunter Dickinson was something all fans were looking forward to. This game also represented a clash of the titans, as these two programs are the two most recent national champions.
Shortly after the Empire Classic, there were rumblings that the Big East preseason Rookie of the Year, Stephon Castle, would return for this game. However, the Georgia native was ruled out a couple of days before this game, still nursing his knee injury. The belief is he will rejoin the team for their Dec. 5 clash against UNC.
The UConn men’s basketball team was put on its heels early Friday night and quickly found themselves down double digits. A major reason was their inability to handle the same defensive pressure they have implemented all season long.
The Huskies were harassed in the offensive end, unable to dribble past the three-point line, with off-ball defenders swarming their man. This caused many possessions to end with a low percentage look, turnover or shot clock violation. It also seemed like the Jayhawk track team was on the floor with their unbelievable pace on both ends. Following every defensive rebound, Kansas looked to create a fastbreak opportunity — sprinting up the court every time. They either took it coast to coast or kicked it out for a high-percentage shot.
Dickinson was a key cog in the Jayhawks’ early success. It seemed as though the contest would be a bloodbath, as the 7-foot-2 giant torched Clingan early on, scoring 10 first-half points on 4-5 shooting and 2-2 from downtown. Dickinson’s success from beyond the arc was also the result of being open, as Clingan was nowhere to be found on his first two makes.
A big reason why Connecticut only trailed by seven at the half was because of Tristen Newton. Newton went nuclear in not just the first half, but all 40 minutes. The El Paso native played 38 minutes, scoring 31 points on 10-18 shooting, including 6-9 from beyond the arc, all being team highs. This was an encouraging offensive performance for the veteran guard, as just four days before, he struggled to find his mark against UNH. While Newton added six rebounds to his total on Friday night, he was unable to get his teammates involved in the offense, as his two assists against the Jayhawks were a season-low.
Although Newton had a day to remember, his teammates were largely struggling. Solomon Ball started for the sixth game in a row and did not do much, shooting 1-3 from the field and failing to record an assist.
Cam Spencer’s night did not get off to an ideal start either. Early on in the first half, the veteran guard appeared to have sustained a foot injury and briefly came out, though returning shortly after. The Maryland native finished 2-12 from the field, including 1-7 from downtown. There’s a question as to why Dan Hurley did not give bench Hassan Diarra more minutes. Spencer was a large contributor to the poor shooting effort, and the 36 minutes he spent on the floor didn’t do his compromised foot any favors.
Something positive for the Huskies was the second-half defensive effort from Clingan, as Dickinson was limited to five points. The Bristol native was also crucial in setting screens, as the Huskies were able to take more high-percentage looks, even jumping out to a five-point lead at one point. Even so, Newton was playing as a one-man wrecking crew.
While Alex Karaban had an okay night, the 6-foot-8 big man fouled out with less than three minutes to go in a four-point game. His loss was devastating for Connecticut, as his 4-11 shooting was the only other decent offensive performance, and his ability to hit big-time shots was missed at the end.
Following Karaban’s loss, it was a competitive game until Kevin McCullar Jr. had something to say about it. The senior guard hit a remarkable corner three with a minute left to give Kansas the two-possession lead. With five seconds left, Spencer had a chance to win it for Connecticut, but he came up short with the three-point try, and the Jayhawks held off the Huskies 69-65.
While this matchup has virtually no long-term implications on the March Madness tournament, there are still many alarm bells going off for UConn. Something of note was their performance from the charity stripe, or the line behind which a player shoots a free throw. As a team, they shot 8-15 from the free-throw line, and in a two-possession game, shooting 50% from the line just will not cut it. Factoring out Newton’s three-point shooting, the program shot 5-19 as a unit — which did not cut it against Kansas. The three-point struggles were not unique to this game. In their previous game against UNH, they shot 4-28 from downtown. Hurley has acknowledged his team’s struggles from the three-point line, and it will be interesting to see if they can adjust with their tough schedule ahead.
In spite of their struggles shooting the rock, it is remarkable how close this game was. Castle will eventually return. Karaban, Clingan and Spencer are expected to play better in the future. The fact that the Huskies played the No. 5 team in the country this close on the road, plagued with injuries and shooting struggles, makes UConn a scary team come tournament time.
The road to Big East play gets slightly easier for Connecticut, although not by much. Two of their next three opponents are ranked. On Tuesday, the Huskies will return to Madison Square Garden for the Jimmy V Classic, and on Dec. 15, they will face Gonzaga in the Seattle Tip-Off.