5. Connecticut (8-1)
The lone blemish in the early season for the Huskies was a home loss to Arizona and that’s somewhat forgivable considering the start the Wildcats have had this season. Dan Hurley isn’t satisfied with November success, even after last week’s demonstrative performance in a win over Illinois. His team does look like they’ll play a major role in how this season develops based on this week’s results.
Tuesday brought an important win, as the Huskies went to Lawrence and got a huge 61-56 road win at Kansas. Solo Ball and Braylon Mullins both contributed 17 points, with the Huskies surviving what wasn’t exactly their best shooting effort. It was more business as usual Friday, with UConn winning 83-59 over East Texas A&M back at home. Ball led the scoring with 14 points, Eric Reibe added 13 points, and the Huskies did exactly what was needed for their fourth straight win.
UConn took care of business, getting a win in their first hostile road environment of the season, something that certainly will prepare them for Big East play. With how that conference looks at the moment, the Huskies could find themselves back at the top of the league and will certainly get their rivals’ best shots on a regular basis. Even before the focus turns to that, they’ll face a pair of SEC programs in Florida and Texas next week.