Where Defending Champs Stand Ahead of March Madness

The University of Connecticut men’s basketball team achieved a program-first on Monday as the Huskies continue their quest for back-to-back NCAA Tournament titles.

UConn earned its first-ever unanimous No. 1 team status in The Associated Press men’s college basketball poll when the latest rankings were revealed, receiving all 62 first-place votes.

The Huskies, coming off a one-sided 81-53 weekend win over No. 4 Marquette, remain atop the poll for the sixth consecutive week—the second-longest streak in school history. But this time, there was no competition for No. 1. There may also not be much internal attention devoted to the accomplishment.

“Anytime you can do things that haven’t been done at a place like UConn, you’ve had a special run,” coach Dan Hurley said of the unanimous ranking, via the New Haven Register. “But no one’s thinking about that for a second.”

More pressing matters are at hand for Hurley and company leading up to March Madness.

Biggest among them, at least at the moment, is an 8:30 p.m. ET Tuesday tipoff against No. 15 Creighton, when UConn will go for its first win over a ranked opponent in a true road game in a decade. At this point, the Huskies—now the first unanimous top team in men’s college basketball this season—have cleared nearly every hurdle the 2023-24 campaign has presented. Going into the Creighton game, UConn (24-2) is riding a 14-game winning streak, tied for the longest single-season conference winning stretch in Big East history.

Does that script sound familiar?

The 2006-07 Florida Gators, the last defending champions to repeat in the men’s bracket, reached the holiday stretch with only two losses, then went on a 17-game winning streak ahead of March Madness. Results over the next handful of weeks will determine if this season’s Huskies can continue to replicate that path and cut down the nets again.

UConn is certainly well-positioned to do just that, so as Selection Sunday approaches in about a month, here’s a closer look at the Huskies’ resume as they pursue a sixth championship since 1999.

March Madness Bracketology, UConn Edition

The NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Committee offered an early bracket preview by revealing its top 16 teams on Saturday. Purdue led the way as a unanimous selection for the No. 1 overall seed in the tournament, chairman Charles McClelland announced, with UConn, Houston and Arizona just behind on the one-line.

But plenty has changed since.

Those rankings only took into account games through February 16. And over the weekend, UConn thrashed Marquette, while Purdue was upset on the road to unranked Ohio State.

Safe to say, if the committee released its updated men’s bracket, there would be a new team at the top. At least for now. In its most recent bracketology breakdown Tuesday morning, ESPN has UConn as the top-overall seed in the upcoming tournament. The same can be said at CBS Sports and for just about every bracket guru out there. UConn is slated to begin the “Big Dance” close to home in the East Region (Boston).

UConn’s March Madness Resume

Last season’s UConn squad entered its bracket-busting run as a No. 4 seed, but this time around—as its ranking would indicate—the Huskies are set up to serve as the tournament’s favorite. But what do the numbers say?

Beyond a No. 1 ranking or a 24-2 record (plus a 14-1 mark in conference play), the Huskies are ranked fourth in the NET (NCAA Evaluation Tool) rankings, which are heavily factored in by the committee when building out the bracket. These metrics take into account criteria including game results, strength of schedule, game location, scoring margin, net offensive and defensive efficiency, and the quality of wins and losses.

Houston, Purdue and Arizona make out Monday’s NET top three.

UConn currently boasts a 9-2 record in Quad 1 games, tied for the most such wins of any team in the country. Hurley’s team is also 4-0, 2-0 and 9-0 in Quadrants 2-4 games, respectively. The Huskies have the 55th-best strength of schedule and 78th-best nonconference strength of schedule, according to CBS Sports. In Ken Pomeroy’s latest analytical analysis of college hoops, UConn was ranked No. 2 with the third-ranked adjusted offense and No. 11 adjusted defense.

UConn Remaining Schedule Breakdown

UConn’s road contest against No. 15 Creighton Tuesday tips off a daunting final five-game stretch to close out the regular season.

Over the next two and a half weeks, the reigning champs—up 3.5 games in the Big East—face off with each of the other squads that make up the rest of the conference’s top six. All of those teams are over .500 and in the top 65 of the NCAA’s latest NET rankings, plus they have a combined winning percentage north of 67 percent. This stretch includes a rematch with Marquette, the defending Big East regular season and tournament champions, and a chance to avenge a December loss to Seton Hall.

Here’s a look at the remaining schedule:

• Tuesday, February 2—at No. 15 Creighton (19-7), 8:30 p.m. ET, FS1
• Saturday, February 24—Villanova (14-11), 8 p.m. ET, FOX
• Sunday, March 3—Seton Hall (17-9), 12 p.m. ET, CBS
• Wednesday, March 6—at No. 7 Marquette (19-6), 8:30 p.m. ET, FS1
• Saturday, March 9—at Providence (17-9), TBD, FOX

The Huskies can either solidify their spot as the nation’s best team by meeting the moment, or close out a triumphant 2023-24 regular season with a few bumps ahead of March Madness. The selection committee will find out, either way, soon enough.

The men’s basketball Big East tournament begins on Wednesday, March 13. Selection Sunday will take place a few days later on March 17.