3. Connecticut (24-2)
One thing that this college basketball season has taught us that we could certainly have a back-to-back champion for the first time in 17 years. This Connecticut team might be just as good if not better than the Huskies squad that ran to the national title last season. A few changes have happened this season for Dan Hurley’s team, but they’ve been firing on all cylinders for the most part this season.
Due to another unique quirk in the scheduling, the Huskies have not played a game in the last week. They’re less than two weeks removed from what was just their third loss of the season when they were mashed at Creighton, but they put that behind them with a nice win over Villanova. The Huskies sit 15-2 and comfortably atop the Big East standings while boasting a roster full of talent and experience.
When Connecticut was on their 14-game winning streak, many considered them the heavy favorites to repeat as national champions. Does one bad performance in Omaha really change that? The reality is that the Huskies will enter the NCAA Tournament less than three weeks from now as a favorite and they’ve proven that. However, there are still challenges ahead, as they’ll play at Marquette and Providence next week.