25. Connecticut (6-3)
Two straight April’s have seen these Huskies cut down the nets as national champions, but the route to a three-peat has certainly looked rough. Connecticut was blindsided at the Maui Invitational, losing all three of their games, including a very rough showing against Dayton in the final contest. Lacking any wins of any merit, the Huskies were back home again this week and finally got something to move the needle.
Connecticut welcomed Baylor to town on Wednesday night for the Big East/Big 12 Battle and the Huskies got the result they needed. While the Bears grabbed a halftime lead, the Huskies did enough down the stretch to pull out a 76-72 win. Freshman Liam McNeeley led the team with 17 points and 8 rebounds, Samson Johnson played well with 13 points, and the Huskies finally got the job done.
What makes that Baylor win more impressive is that the Huskies were playing again without star Alex Karaban, the only returning starter from last year’s championship team. At this current time, calling UConn a Top 25 team could be considered a stretch to some, but when healthy this team should be a major factor in the Big East. This goodwill could be silenced or lengthened depending on how Sunday’s trip at Texas or next weekend’s game with Gonzaga goes for the Huskies.