Ranking the top 8 backcourts in the East Region who could carry their team to the second round

Heading into last season’s NCAA Tournament, UConn was a four-seed and Tristen Newton was the team’s biggest question mark. Well, the 6-foot-5 ECU transfer certainly didn’t hold the team back in March and this year he enters the tournament leading the Huskies in points and assists per game and was a unanimous First-Team All-Big East selection. 

Newton is the do-it-all playmaker for UConn and Danny Hurley’s trust in his point guard couldn’t be higher. However, if Newton has the rare off-night, then Cam Spencer, the Rutgers transfer and fellow First-Team All-Big East selection, or Big East Freshman of the Year Stephon Castle can step up to seamlessly fill Newton’s shoes. 

Spencer is a veteran deadeye-shooter, who is in constant motion, which puts so much strain on a team defensively. He comes into UConn's first-round matchup with 49/44/91 shooting splits while shooting 5.8 threes a game and still providing playmaking with 3.2 assists. 

This year, UConn has no weaknesses. Hurley has the same amount of depth of scoring from his backcourt and rim protection from his frontcourt as a year ago, but now has the confidence of a coach and a team that has already reached the mountaintop and knows what it takes. Stetson will be no issue in the Round of 64, and neither will FAU or Northwestern, but a matchup with Auburn in the Sweet 16 looms as possibly the biggest game of the entire tournament. If the Huskies get through that, it could be smooth sailing to another title, but this time because of their point guard, not in spite of him.