LAWRENCE — There were two different opinions Friday, as representatives of the UConn basketball team reacted to a 69-65 loss at Kansas.
As Huskies head coach Dan Hurley spoke, there was an indication of how influential the Jayhawks fan base was that night inside Allen Fieldhouse. He mentioned how there aren’t many places where the crowd works the way it does. He noted that the environment shook his side for a while.
UConn (7-1) graduate guard Tristen Newton said he didn’t feel the crowd affected his team. After playing and winning the national championship last season, he made it clear he didn’t feel the fans could be bothered. He added that he and his Huskies teammates have to play better and be more aggressive.
But from the Jayhawks’ perspective, opinion about the caliber of the crowd has remained consistent. The crowd’s influence on the result was clear. Those who flocked to Allen Fieldhouse to watch No. 6 Kansas (7-1) take on No. 4 UConn had a hand in the Jayhawks coming away with the win.
“There are probably some places that can compete with that,” Kansas coach Bill Self said. “I don’t know if there’s anyone who can compete with him for 40 minutes like that. It’s a good place, and we, this team haven’t done that yet, but hopefully this will be a good starting point to learn how to get confidence by being in the building. And there was 16,000 people got here early and made sure they played their part to make sure we had a successful night.
This crowd looked capable of holding the Jayhawks to defeat early, as they jumped out and maintained a large lead. Kansas led by as many as 12 points heading into halftime. But then the Huskies found their footing and challenged the Jayhawks, even leading by as many as five points in the second half.
Self explained that he wasn’t surprised by the fact that UConn was back. He explained that basketball is a running game. Considering the dominance the Huskies displayed during their run to the NCAA Tournament last season, there was more than one reason to respect the ability with which UConn entered the game.
Self probably didn’t want to play junior forward KJ Adams Jr. for more than 38 minutes, or senior midfielder Hunter Dickinson and senior guard Dajuan Harris Jr. both for more than 37 minutes. In an ideal world, those three and graduating seniors guard Kevin McCullar Jr. would end up in the top five. With nearly 30 minutes to go and Self could turn to the bench more. But Self also highlighted post-match that when it came to this game, he didn’t think his home crowd would let his players get tired.
“Kevin and I have watched a lot of games here, but I think the crowd was tough and loud and they were in the game for all 40 minutes,” Adams said. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a crowd that engaged the whole time. So, I thought that was great and I think we have one of the best fans in the country.”
Dickinson volunteered that he wouldn’t mind trying out some of the highlights inside Allen Fieldhouse. The Michigan transfer just played his most intense home game yet since joining Kansas before this season. And for now, he won’t have to wait long for that next opportunity.
The Jayhawks’ next home game is Tuesday against Kansas City. But their next home game after that, on Dec. 9, will be against rival Missouri. The atmosphere the last time the Tigers played at Kansas was not disappointing.
“That was crazy today, I’m not going to lie,” Dickinson said Friday. “It was crazy. It’s something I don’t think I’ve ever experienced before. Phog Allen, it’s a different environment. It’s — there’s a reason why a coach has so many wins and so few losses.
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Jordan Guskey covers University of Kansas athletics for the Topeka Capital Journal. He is the 2022 National Sports Media Association Sportswriter of the Year for Kansas. Contact him at [email protected] or on Twitter at @JordanGuskey.
