UConn Freshmen Step Up in Win Over Kansas
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The UConn Huskies were coming into Allen Fieldhouse never having won there against the Kansas Jayhawks. But that recently changed as the No. 5-ranked Huskies were able to squeeze out a win over the No. 21-ranked Jayhawks 61-56. But the win did not come easy as the Huskies had to battle back from a four-point halftime deficit and trailing for the majority of the second half.
But the Huskies owe the win to their freshmen who really came to play in this one in center Eric Reibe and guard Braylon Mullins. Reibe had to start again as usual starting center Tarris Reed Jr. was still nursing a previous injury and Mullins provided quality minutes off the bench.
Reibe finished the game with 12 points and 8 rebounds on 6-8 from the field and really looked comfortable out on the court. Mullins came off the bench and logged 23 minutes and finished the game with 17 points on 6-12 shooting from the field and 3-9 from three-point land. What a game for the freshmen.
As the season goes on, these guys will only get better. They put up excellent performances on the road against a very tough team.
Huge performances from the freshmen 🔥 pic.twitter.com/l29QhGv3u2
— UConn Men's Basketball (@UConnMBB) December 3, 2025
Reibe and Mullins can carry this Huskies team to a National Championship
The Huskies came into this recent basketball season looking for a spark as they lost in the second round of last year's NCAA Tournament to the eventual champions in the Florida Gators. And after that loss, there was something missing for head coach Dan Hurley and crew.
Enter Reibe and Mullins into the equation, and it now feels like the Huskies have what it takes to go all the way in April and claim a third National Championship in their last four tries. Prior to last year's second-round loss, the Huskies were looking for a three-peat.
But now with the star freshmen in the mix and them helping out usual starters Alex Karaban and Solo Ball, among others, this team is a top contender in the whole country. They already have three ranked wins over BYU, Illinois, and now Kansas. They would have beaten Arizona too if Reed Jr. and Mullins had played, but that's a story for a different time.
This team has proven already this year through only eight games that they have what it takes to hang with the big dogs. They should have no problem making it to March as a contender in the Big East and a top seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Tyler is a 25 year old Journalism graduate from Georgia Southern University. Tyler is a big fan of hockey, baseball, basketball, and football, and also is a staff writer for Fansided.