KU, UConn have met in men’s basketball just 3 times. Here’s a look at the games

No. 4-ranked UConn, which is off to an impressive 7-0 start after rolling through the 2022-23 postseason and winning the program’s fifth NCAA men’s basketball title, has played fellow hoops powerhouse Kansas just three times throughout history.

One of those meetings occurred in the NCAA Tournament. The Jayhawks, 3-0 all-time versus the Huskies, prevailed 73-61 in a second-round NCAA South Regional game on March 19, 2016, at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, Iowa.

Wayne Selden and Perry Ellis combined for 43 points as the Jayhawks followed a 105-79 first-round victory over Austin Peay with a double-digit win over Connecticut.

Selden scored 22 points and grabbed seven rebounds, while Ellis scored 21 points and grabbed eight rebounds himself. KU, the No. 1 overall seed in the tourney, improved to 32-4.

Jamari Traylor had two blocks during a 19-0 run in the first half that gave the Jayhawks a commanding 40-16 lead. Led by Landen Lucas (12 rebounds), Ellis (eight), Selden (seven) and Frank Mason (five), KU outrebounded the Huskies, 44-24.

UConn came within nine points midway through the second half, but Ellis and Selden wouldn’t let KU lose. With 1:38 left, Devonté Graham hit Selden for an alley-oop slam that was one of the most exciting plays of the entire tourney.

UConn’s Daniel Hamilton was 4-for-14 shooting for 11 points with eight rebounds and six assists. Rodney Purvis was 2-of-7 from 3 for 17 points.

”We tried to play one-on-one in the first half. We can’t win like that,” Hamilton said after the game

Of the win, KU’s Selden said: “It was hunger. We just really wanted it. I just looked down the roster and everybody’s eyes before the game were focused.”

It was Kevin Ollie’s first tourney loss as Huskies coach. He’d led the Huskies to the 2014 NCAA title in his second season as a No. 7 seed, but dropped this contest as a 9 seed. UConn did not make the tourney in Ollie’s third season.

“They’re going to be a very, very tough out in this tournament,” Ollie said.

KU went on to beat Maryland 79-63 in the Sweet 16, but fell short against Villanova, 64-59, one win from the Final Four.

Two other meetings between KU, Huskies

KU and UConn also had an off campus arena home-and-home series during the 1994-95 and 1996-97 seasons. KU won 88-59 on Jan. 28, 1995, in Kansas City and again 73-65 on Jan, 19, 1997, in Hartford, Connecticut.

Here’s a look at those two contests.

The Jayhawks, ranked No. 7, blasted No. 2 UConn in Kemper Arena in the ’95 game. Jerod Haase hit four 3s and scored 20 points with six rebounds, two assists, seven turnovers and two steals in 30 minutes.

Sean Pearson scored 17 points, while Jacque Vaughn scored nine points with 10 assists and seven rebounds. Raef LaFrentz had nine points and 11 rebounds.

UConn’s Ray Allen hit three 3s and scored 23 points, while Donny Marshall had 18 points and nine rebounds with three steals. UConn was 3-of-18 from 3 to KU’s 8-of-17 mark.

KU improved to 7-2 in the Roy Williams era against teams ranked No. 1 or 2. After the game, Williams expressed displeasure some KU fans chanted “overrated” at UConn’s players and coaches.

“It was a fantastic crowd, but I didn’t want them yelling ‘overrated,’ because the guy on the other bench (Jim Calhoun) is a friend of mine, and I didn’t want them to tick anybody off,” KU coach Williams said.

He added: “We felt very good about our play. Probably more than anything, I liked our intensity and aggressiveness offensively.”

Then on Jan. 19, 1997, No. 1 KU prevailed 73-65 over unranked UConn on Jan. 19 at Hartford Civic Center.

Paul Pierce scored 14 points and dished five assists with five rebounds; LaFrentz had 14 points and six rebounds, and Haase had 10 points, five assists and three steals. Billy Thomas hit three 3s and had 11 points off the bench.

Rashamel Jones hit three 3s and scored 22 points with five rebounds. Richard Hamilton hit four 3s and had 21 points for the Huskies.

The victory upped KU’s unblemished record to 18-0.

“We challenged these kids just to play with more energy than Kansas. Just play harder than Kansas. Give yourself a fighting chance. They gave themselves a fighting chance, so I’m very proud of our kids,” UConn coach Calhoun said.

“I’m very impressed with Kansas. They came into a building where a team was playing with emotion, energy — and we played as hard as we possibly could play — and they’re a terrific, terrific basketball team. They’re coached by certainly as good a coach as there is in the country in Roy Williams,” Calhoun added.

Williams singled out point guard Vaughn, who had nine points and five assists in 30 minutes.

“As tough as can be,” Williams said. “This morning at the shootaround, and I know this is beginning to sound redundant because last week it was Scot (Pollard), but I really didn’t think that he was going to play. (Vaughn suffered a knee strain in practice.) I told our staff at the pre-game meal I thought there was a 20% chance he would play. The only way I would play him was if he confidently felt like he would be OK.

“This morning he didn’t feel that way. But he did a lot of stretching after he got back to the hotel and then came here and really warmed up hard and said it felt better and said he wanted to try it. It’s hard for me to deny him anything. I congratulated him with the team because he’s the all-time assist leader in Kansas history. There’s been a lot of good players there, but nobody gives it up any better. He’s just an outstanding kid and as tough as you can be and a heck of a player.”

UConn is tied for fourth all-time in NCAA Tournament titles with five. KU has won four tourney titles.

UConn beat San Diego State 76-59 in the 2023 title game. Also, UConn defeated Kentucky 60-54 in the 2014 championship contest; Butler 53-41 in 2011; Georgia Tech 82-73 in 2004 and Duke 77-74 in 1999. KU won the NCAA Tournament in 2022, 2008, 1988 and 1952.