Thousands of students were already lounging inside Allen Fieldhouse by the afternoon, announcing their arrival every time roll call went out. Jayhawks coach Bill Self said it’s as big a game as he could remember in early December. The Jayhawks split games with Baylor, and three came in 2005, when UConn and Syracuse met twice in the regular season and again in the Big East Tournament. Blueblood programs such as UConn and Kansas meet far from home. The Jayhawks beat No. 12 Kentucky in the Champions Classic in Chicago earlier this season, and split games against third-ranked Marquette and No. 10 Tennessee at the Maui Invitational. When high-profile games are on campus, you get students camping out for seats, even if it means starting their vigil more than 48 hours before tipoff. It just makes us want to get out there even harder. On-campus games carry different weight and feel for players. UConn guard Tristen Newton admitted that taking the joy of winning out of somebody else’s team is a great feeling. Dickinson, who will go toe-to-toe with UConn center Donovan Clingan in what should be one of the best matchups of big men all season. This isn’t the only power conference opponent that the Jayhawks are playing on campus this season. It will almost assuredly be the best, though.
