The University of Connecticut’s men’s basketball team is a juggernaut. After rolling to the Big East Conference regular season title with an 18-2 record and then defeating Marquette in the Big East Tournament championship by 73-57 on Saturday night at Madison Square Garden, the 31-3 Huskies enter the NCAA Tournament as the top seed in the East region and No. 1 overall seed among all teams.
“We’ve been (trying) all year to win multiple championships, and this is one of the stops,” said senior point guard Tristen Newton after the Huskies eliminated St. John’s by 95-90 in the semifinals on Friday. The First Team All-Big East selection registered 25 points and 9 assists, against the Red Storm, both team highs, and his six rebounds tied freshman guard Stephon Castle for the Huskies lead.
The Huskies won the DI men’s title last year, crushing San Diego State by 76-59 in the finals. Each of their six wins en route to the championship were by double-digits. This iteration of the Huskies is likely to face a close game along their path this year and could even be a victim of an upset, given the randomness and unpredictability of the tournament, which makes it one of the world’s most compelling and dramatic sporting events. But they will be extremely difficult to beat since their balance, size, depth, and versatility are unmatched on the college level.
Head coach Danny Hurley has several future NBA players at his disposal, including Castle, Newton, and 7-2 sophomore center Donovan Clingnan, who dominated Marquette on Saturday with 22 points and 16 rebounds. UConn opens up against No. 16 seed Stetson today at 2:45 p.m. at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
The other No. 1 seeds are North Carolina in the West, Pudue in the Midwest, and Houston in the South. On Tuesday, No. 16 Wagner defeated Howard 71-68 in a First Four matchup and will now meet North Carolina today at 2:45 p.m. in Charlotte.