For the second consecutive poll and third straight week, the UConn men’s basketball team came in at No. 4 in the AP Poll. The 14-1 Huskies are coming off of a 2-0 week as they resume Big East play after Christmas with a pair of convincing wins on the road against Xavier on Wednesday and at home against Marquette on Sunday.
Also for the second consecutive poll and third straight week, the Huskies are the only Big East team ranked in the Top 25. Villanova and Seton Hall are the first and second teams
out of the poll and the only other schools in the conference to receive any votes. The Wildcats are just five votes behind No. 25 UCF and just missed out.
Arizona, UConn’s only loss of the season, remains at No. 1 after defeating Utah in its Big 12 opener over the weekend. The Huskies have three wins this season against teams currently ranked in the poll in No. 9 BYU, No. 16 Illinois, No. 22 Kansas. Florida dropped out of the Top 25 for the first time this season this week after falling to Missouri in its conference opener.
The Huskies return to action this week on Wednesday, as UConn travels to Providence on Wednesday to take on a Friar squad fresh off its best win of the season at Madison Square Garden against St. John’s. Then, the Huskies return to Hartford for the first time in the new year when they play host to DePaul on Saturday.
Looking at NET rating, UConn continues to remain at No. 8 despite the 2-0 record last week. The Huskies are one of eight teams in the country with at least four Quad One victories this season. Looking ahead to next week, Providence, No. 85 in NET, will be a Quad Two opportunity, and DePaul, No. 125 in NET, is going to be a Quad Three game. In terms of KenPom, UConn ranks No. 7 overall being No. 27 in offensive efficiency and No. 2 in defensive efficiency.
