No. 4 UConn vs. No. 5 KU basketball: Probable starters, tipoff, TV, facts and figures
THE DETAILS
When/where: 8 p.m., Friday, Allen Fieldhouse.
TV: ESPN.
Radio: WHB (810) in Kansas City; ESPN Wichita (92.3 FM) in Wichita.
PROBABLE STARTERS
P | No. | UConn | Ht. | Yr. | PPG |
C | 32 | Donovan Clingan | 7-2 | So. | 15.0 |
F | 11 | Alex Karaban | 6-8 | So. | 14.6 |
G | 2 | Tristen Newton | 6-5 | Sr. | 15.6 |
G | 12 | Cam Spencer | 6-4 | Sr. | 16.3 |
G | 1 | Solomon Ball | 6-3 | Fr. | 6.0 |
P | No. | Kansas | Ht. | Yr. | PPG |
F | 24 | KJ Adams | 6-7 | Jr. | 10.9 |
C | 1 | Hunter Dickinson | 7-2 | Sr. | 21.7 |
G | 15 | Kevin McCullar | 6-7 | Sr. | 18.1 |
G | 3 | Dajuan Harris | 6-2 | Sr. | 6.0 |
G | 13 | Elmarko Jackson | 6-3 | Fr. | 5.7 |
About No. 4 UConn (7-0): UConn has defeated Northern Arizona (95-52), Stonehill (107-67), Mississippi Valley State (87-53), Indiana (77-57), Texas (81-71), Manhattan (90-60) and New Hampshire (84-64) this season. The Indiana and Texas games were part of the Empire Classic in Madison Square Garden. … UConn’s 20-point victory over New Hampshire on Monday was the Huskies’ 24th straight nonconference victory by double digits, which set a new NCAA record. The streak includes nine wins over power-five conference teams and six wins over ranked opponents. North Carolina held the previous mark with 23 straight double-digit nonconference wins in 2008 and 2009, including the Tar Heels’ national championship victory in 2009. That record, according to ESPN, was the longest streak since 1950. … In the New Hampshire game Monday, 7-footer Donovan Clingan scored a career-high 29 points on 12-of-13 shooting. Guard Tristen Newton posted a 17-point, 10-rebound double-double. Newton’s double-double came a game after he notched his third career triple-double (against Manhattan). It was the eighth double-double for Newton in a UConn jersey. It also marks the first time a Husky has recorded a double-double in consecutive games since Adama Sanogo had three-straight to cap the 2023 NCAA Tournament. … Coach Dan Hurley is in his sixth season at UConn and in his 14th season overall as a Division-I head coach. Hurley owns a collegiate coaching record of 262-160 in his 14 seasons — two at Wagner College, six at the University of Rhode Island and six at UConn (111-55). … UConn will play one of the most competitive nonconference schedules in the country. UConn plays KU Indiana, Texas, Gonzaga, and North Carolina, The Huskies are looking to become the first program to repeat as national champions since Florida in 2006-07. ... UConn is 1-1 in the Big East/Big 12 Battle, defeating Oklahoma State at home last season and losing at West Virginia in 2021. ... UConn averages 88.7 points per game while allowing 60.6 ppg. ... This game is UConn’s second against a top-five team in regular-season nonconference action. No. 1 UConn beat No. 4 Stanford on Feb. 6, 1999.
About No. 5 Kansas (6-1): KU is 3-0 all-time versus UConn. The teams have met once in the 21-year Bill Self era. KU won 73-61 in an NCAA second-round South Regional game on March 19, 2016, in Des Moines, Iowa. KU would advance to the Elite Eight where it fell to Villanova 64-59 in Louisville. The teams 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. ... The Jayhawks are 6-1 or better for the 12th-consecutive season. ... Kansas will face the last two NCAA champions this season. The Jayhawks will play 2021 champ Baylor twice (Feb. 10 in Lawrence and March 2 in Waco as well as UConn on Friday). ... KU has won 10-straight games against non-conference opponents in Allen Fieldhouse. The Jayhawks are 149-6 (96.2%) versus non-league foes in Allen Fieldhouse during the Bill Self era. ... Kansas leads the country in assists per game at 24.1. The Jayhawks also lead the Big 12 and are second in field-goal percentage at 54.0%. ... Senior Hunter Dickinson leads the country in rebounds per game at 12.7. ... Senior Kevin McCullar leads the country in triple-doubles with two. He is the seventh player in NCAA history to record consecutive triple-doubles and the first since the 2007-08 season (Tony Lee of Robert Morris). ... KU is 3-1 in the Big East/Big 12 Battle. Last season, Kansas defeated Seton Hall 91-65 on Dec. 1, 2022, in Allen Fieldhouse. KU won at St. John’s 95-75 in 2021 and defeated Creighton 73-72 in 2020. Kansas’ sole loss in the Battle was at Villanova, 55-56, in 2019. ... Kansas has won 59-straight games when out-rebounding its opponent. The streak started Feb. 8, 2021 against Oklahoma State and is the longest active streak in NCAA Division I. Florida Atlantic is next at 37.
