6. Connecticut (27-4)
Largely thanks to that 18-game winning streak earlier in the season, UConn looked to be in total control both for the Big East and to grab one of those precious top-seeds in the NCAA Tournament. The Huskies’ long streak ended at the hands of St. John’s, but they really got revenge last week in a 32-point blowout win. The stage was clearly set for another regular season crown for the Huskies but somehow things went really sideways for Dan Hurley and company.
All that stood in the way for UConn was their regular season finale on Saturday at Marquette but things did not develop as expected. Despite finishing near the bottom of the Big East standings, the Golden Eagles came to play, delivering a shocking 68-62 loss to these Huskies. Silas Demary Jr. had 17 points and 8 assists and Tarris Reed Jr. contributed 16 points and 10 rebounds but this effort was just a big head scratcher.
This dreadful season finale likely cost UConn their chance at a 1-seed in the Big Dance but also delivers the Big East regular season title to St. John’s The Huskies fell to 17-3 in the league, with both this game and that home loss against Creighton really showing how fallible this team looks at times. The Big East Tournament clearly represents an opportunity for Hurley’s team to get right again and we’ll see if that’s in the cards.