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In a season chock-full of incredible college basketball matchups on the men's and women's sides, this one may take the cake…for now. Undefeated defending national champions #4 UConn travels to #5 Kansas in a matchup of two of the most exciting men's college basketball teams of the 2023-24 season. The Jayhawks are playing their second top-five and third top-ten matchups in four games, losing to Marquette and beating Tennessee. And the Huskies are starting off a gauntlet that also includes #17 North Carolina and #11 Gonzaga in their next four against Kansas.
UConn vs. Kansas: How to watch
UConn and Kansas will square off in Allen Fieldhouse in Kansas on ESPN2, this Friday, December 1, at 9:00 p.m. eastern. If you cannot access ESPN2 through your television provider, you can stream the game via fuboTV for no additional cost to your subscription. Interestingly, this will just be the fourth time these two storied programs have ever faced off, with the last time they played being in the second round of the 2016 NCAA tournament, where #1 seeded Kansas beat #9 seeded UConn 73-61.
Date: Friday, December 1, 9:00 p.m. EST
Location: Allen Fieldhouse, Lawrence, KS
T.V. channel: ESPN2| Live stream: fuboTV (click for a free trial)
UConn storylines
The UConn Huskies are about as hot as any college basketball program can be. After conquering the college basketball world last year, they're off to a sterling start this season. However, they are in the midst of another Big East arms race this year. Last year's Big East champions, Marqutte, already beat this Kansas team earlier this year. And while they're defending national champion status means that they'll carry a lot of hype wherever they go this tear, they're certainly extra motivated to assert themselves in their own conference.
The Huskies are balanced, but like many of the best teams in UConn's history, their backcourt remains their strength. Senior guard Cam Spencer leads the way with scoring at a 16.3 points per game clip. His running mate and fellow senior Tristen Newton is scoring 15.6 ppg and leading the team with 8.1 rebounds and 6.9 assists per game. This dynamic duo doesn't carry the whole load for UConn, but if they can't get going against Kansas, it could be a long night for UConn fans.
Kansas storylines
Head Coach Bill Self made all the headlines this offseason when he signed a record-setting contract extension to keep him in Kansas for years to come. But his team carried plenty of hype into the new season as well, clocking in as the AP's preseason #1. They've had quite their fair share of tests so far in this young season, and the undefeated defending national champs are just next on the list. They've already taken down two strong Kentucky and Tennessee teams and were narrowly upset by Shaka Smart's Marquette squad. So they may be a little more tired than their opponents are for this game, but they are the more battle-tested group so far.
On the court, this is also an experienced group. Their rotations are also very guard-heavy, featuring only three true frontcourt players getting big minutes. However, senior center Hunter Dickinson is at the heart of everything that happens on offense and defense for this Jayhawks squad. Dickinson is Kansas' leading scorer and rebounder, posting 21.2/12.7 per game so far. Senior guard Kevin McCullar Jr. is the other guy to keep an eye on who can score in a hurry, with an impressive 18.0/8.2/5.8 stat line.
