NO. 1 UCONN HUSKIES
RECORD: 33-3
COACH: Dan Hurley, fourth season
CONFERENCE: Big East
HOW THEY GOT HERE: Beat No. 16 Stetson, 9152; Beat No. 9 Northwestern, 75-58
PLAYER TO WATCH: Stephon Castle, freshman guard
OUTLOOK: UConn has done nothing to cast doubt on its status as the championship favorite after advancing to the second weekend with ease. In fact – as San Diego State is painfully aware – the Huskies have yet to be tested in their last two tournaments. Their average margin of victory over their run of eight consecutive tournament wins is 22 points.
UConn has not been flawless by its championship standard, at least if you ask Dan Hurley. When the Huskies led Stetson by 33 at halftime, Hurley was disappointed in his team’s first half performance, telling CBS Sports’ Tracy Wolfson in his walkoff interview that they needed to be sharper and “grow up a little bit.” On Sunday, UConn shot 3-for-22 from 3-point range but still won by 17. There is a large margin for error with these Huskies, which makes them so difficult to beat.
After dealing with some injuries earlier this season – Donovan Clingan missed five games, Stephon Castle missed six – UConn is at full strength and seemingly peaking at the right time, just like last season. There isn’t a hole on the roster. Castle is a projected NBA lottery pick who’s an elite defender, Clingan is a 7-foot-2 terror down low, Alex Karaban – a Southborough native who will return home this weekend – and Cam Spencer can light it up from downtown. And, oh yeah, first team All-American guard Tristen Newton controls one of the most advanced offenses in college basketball. Good luck.