It has been an up-and-down season to say the least for the two-time defending national champions. Although UConn looks different this season after losing key players Tristen Newton, Donovan Clingan, Cam Spencer and Stephon Castle, the Huskies began the season with high hopes once again.
With that said, UConn has one of the best freshmen in the country, Liam McNeeley (15.4 PPG), along with sophomore Solo Ball (14.7 PPG) and junior forward Alex Karaban (14.1 PPG). Even with the production from those three, the Huskies have lacked the dominance they have shown in recent years.
It all started when UConn lost all three of its games in the Maui Invitational back in November. Since going on an eight-game winning streak afterward, it has been hit or miss for UConn with a 6-5 record and a shocking loss to Seton Hall (7-19, 2-13 Big East) on Feb. 15.
Something that did not help the team was McNeeley's absence due to a high ankle sprain. He was out of action for five weeks before recently returning to the hardwood. Even with his return, it has been much of the same for a program that only lost three games last season.
UConn should be fine, but Huskies must take care of business the rest of the way
Barring a catastrophic end to the regular season and an early exit from the Big East tournament, the Huskies should get the benefit of the doubt when Selection Sunday rolls around. As the 8-seed in the latest Bracketology from ESPN's Joe Lunardi, UConn is safely in the field as of now and in much better shape than the teams currently on the bubble.
With games against No. 10 St. John's and No. 16 Marquette, the opportunity is there for at least one more signature win on UConn's resume. UConn currently owns four ranked wins, but three of those teams — Baylor, Gonzaga and Creighton — are no longer ranked.
The main concern for UConn lies in the three unranked opponents remaining on its schedule. Georgetown, Providence and Seton Hall are each in the bottom half of the Big East standings and outside the NCAA Tournament field. Although the possibility of UConn losing all three of those games or even one of them seems unlikely, the prior loss to Seton Hall proved otherwise.
With that said, the road to March has not been near as smooth as it was last year for the Huskies. Still, aside from a late-season collapse and a lot of bid stealers throughout the conference tournaments, UConn is in position to go for a three-peat.
While UConn should be dancing when March rolls around, the odds of a third consecutive title, though, seem extremely unlikely at this point.