NCAA Basketball: Purdue, Duke, fall in latest top 25 power ranking

6. Connecticut (7-1)

Everyone knows full well that this Connecticut program won the national championship last season and return a few of those important pieces this season. It’s been a really impressive run out of the gate, with a slew of massive wins including over Indiana and Texas already on their resume. There’s no question that this UConn squad is impressive, but they met their match to begin December.

First, they finished off a flawless November with an 84-64 win at home over New Hampshire. Donovan Clingan really stood out with 29 points and 7 rebounds while Tristen Newton had a double-double in that win. Friday night saw a tough challenge and a first loss for the Huskies, who lost 69-65 on the road against Kansas. Newton really stood out with 31 points in the close loss.

There’s absolutely no shame in losing in Lawrence. This UConn team will win a lot of games this season and make plenty of noise, as they had done in seven straight double-digit wins beforehand. What’s clear is that this talented squad can hang with anybody anywhere and should threaten for more national glory come March. Next week’s features an intriguing contest with North Carolina on Tuesday and a real chance for the Huskies to get back on track.