NCAA Basketball: 10 teams primed to lose early in 2023 NCAA Tournament

Connecticut

When the Huskies got off to a 14-0 start to the season, heads were turning, and for good reason. This Connecticut team beat Oregon, Alabama, and Iowa State by double-digits in Portland with a combination of elite offense and defense. Even when Big East play began and they started to struggle with quality opponents, there’s been a lot to like in Storrs this year.

We knew before the season that Adama Sanogo was going to have a major impact when he returned for his junior season, but the play of Jordan Hawkins has been just as vital to the Huskies’ success. The play of freshmen Alex Karaban and Donovan Clingan has been a major reason for the Huskies’ rise, with Clingan emerging as one of the best centers from this past freshman class.

At some point, all of these losses in conference play spell a bigger problem. After that 14-0 start, the Huskies lost six of their next eight games, including a double-digit home loss to St. John’s and a sweep against Xavier. They’ve played better in recent weeks, but inconsistent shooting and poor interior defense were a major cuff during that poor January. The Huskies have size in the frontcourt and matchup well with most teams, but this same team did fall in the first round as a 5-seed last year and similar problems could haunt Dan Hurley’s squad.