UConn men’s basketball made history Tuesday night, as the Huskies beat No. 21 Kansas on the road for the program’s first-ever victory over the Jayhawks. Despite a raucous Phog Allen Fieldhouse crowd, UConn trailed by as much as eight points before taking the lead in the second and securing the win. Here are some key takeaways from the Huskies’ seventh win of the season.
The kids are not just alright, but really good
It’s unlikely UConn wins on Tuesday without star freshmen Braylon Mullins and Eric Reibe. Reibe made another start with Tarris Reed Jr. out and made the most of the opportunity with 12 points, eight boards, two blocks and two steals. He’s improved tremendously just over the early part of the season, and while there is still room for improvement defensively, has held his own against tough bigs like the Ivisic twins from Illinois on KU’s Flory Bidunga. While this year’s UConn team is at its best when Reed is healthy and playing, it’s clear that Reibe has earned a significant share of minutes and will be a crucial asset to this team all season long.
Advertisement
And then there was Mullins, who came into the Phog guns blazing and made his presence felt right away. He had 17 points and five boards in just 23 minutes and managed to get up nine 3-point attempts, making three. He quickly established himself as one of the best players on the court and was an injection of offense in a low scoring matchup against an excellent defensive team. Mullins will likely be in the starting lineup sooner rather than later and is already one of the top scoring options in a stacked UConn offense.
Karaban coming up clutch
Alex Karaban almost single-handedly willed UConn to victory Tuesday night. The senior stepped up offensively with his own 7-0 run midway through the second half to give the Huskies their first lead of the night. While the stat line might not look pretty due to a slow start in the first half, Karaban did everything UConn needed him to do to secure the win. He finished the night with 11 points, but also added six rebounds and two blocks and was incredibly effective defensively against KU players of all sizes. His versatility on both ends is so crucial to making this team as dangerous as it is.
Solo Ball is back
Solo Ball got the party started in Lawrence from the jump, scoring UConn’s first seven points as the Huskies adjusted to a tough Allen Fieldhouse crowd. He finished the night with 17 points and was 3-7 from beyond the arc, including a huge three with five minutes to play that put UConn up six. Ball is still a bit of a conundrum this season — he’s showcasing elite shooting in the midrange and at the line, but the results haven’t fully translated to the perimeter, where he’s shooting 26.8 percent from three this year — but Tuesday night was a massive step in the right direction. With Mullins now in the rotation, defenses likely won’t be able to hound Ball like they did to start the year, enabling some better, less rushed, looks. Ball is still a respected shooter and can get hot in a hurry, but for now, he is still doing plenty of things right on the offensive end, where he is averaging a career-high 14.6 points per game.
Advertisement
Point guard play
There’s no reason to be worried, but Silas Demary Jr. and Malachi Smith didn’t exactly light the world on fire against the Jayhawks. The two combined for three total points and had as many turnovers (four) as assists. While both struggled against the length and speed of the KU guards, they both did enough to grind out the win. Demary’s put back off a Mullins miss late in the game was key, and Smith ran the offense effectively to get others open looks.
With both true point guards stumbling, Jayden Ross stepped up. He handled the ball and initiated the offense at times and had three assists and no turnovers. Ross’ versatility on both ends helped him see the floor often as UConn mounted its comeback, and it speaks to the depth and flexibility of the Huskies’ bench to be able to step up when needed. Point guard play doesn’t seem to be an issue this year like it was last season — Smith was excellent against Illinois, and Demary Jr. has been great all season — but it’s nice to see that Ross can step in and hold down the fort for stretches in a pinch.
