At this point in the season, with eight games in, the Jayhawks somewhat have a proper benchmark on their season thus far. Especially with all the injury news around star guard Darryn Peterson. The biggest revolving question has been who will step into the large shoes that Peterson’s scoring output now leaves wide open.
With Peterson missing out on the Jayhawks' trip to Las Vegas, Nevada, Bill Self’s squad responded resiliently with three wins all against power conference opposition, the first day started with a 71-61 win over Notre Dame, not even a full 24 hours later, the Jayhawks took down the Syracuse Orange with a 71-60 win, before taking on the No. 13 Tennesee Volunteers. While the Jayhawks faced a deficit as large as 12, the Jayhawks were spearheaded by 17-point efforts from guards Elmarko Jackson and St. Bonaventure transfer Melvin Council Jr, in an eventual 81-76 win.
Before the trip out west, Self spoke about the trip being an opportunity for the team to bond. On Monday, ahead of Tuesday’s upcoming clash against the No. 5 UConn Huskies, Self spoke more on the trip.
“I actually think the success in Las Vegas helped us bond. You know, I don't know that we're a team yet. I say this all along, I don’t know if anybody in America is a team in November. But I think that we're closer to becoming a team, having gone out there.”
Battle of the Fast & Fearless: Kansas Jayhawks vs UConn Huskies matchup significance
While the specifics of how the team bonded were never tapped into, the newfound cohesion for the team was evident in their play, especially considering their 47-point second half, where they outscored the Vols’ 35.
The Huskies will debatably provide the biggest test Kansas has faced all season. Dan Hurley’s side holds a strong 6-1 record, with their sole loss coming at the hands of the No. 2 Arizona Wildcats in a 71-67 loss. In the recent Net Rankings, UConn came in at 8th, and Kansas came in at 17th.
Tipoff is set for 8 p.m. CT with streaming available on ESPN 2.