The UConn men’s basketball team has been tested over the last couple of weeks, but the Huskies pulled out their 14th consecutive win at Georgetown on Saturday and were rewarded with the No. 2 ranking in the AP Top 25 poll on Monday.
Sitting at 18-1 on the year and 8-0 in the Big East it is the program’s best start to a season since 1998-99, when it won 19 straight to open the season, including its first 11 in Big East play, before going on to win its first national championship. UConn’s resume, bolstered by one of the toughest nonconference schedules it’s ever played, still ranks No. 1 in the nation by EvanMiya.com.
Arizona, the only team to take down the Huskies so far, albeit without two starters in Tarris Reed Jr. and Braylon Mullins, was voted No. 1 for the sixth week in a row in the first unanimous vote of the season after getting to 18-0 with a pair of seven-point victories over Arizona State and UCF.
UConn’s winning streak is the fourth-longest in Division I behind Nebraska (22), Miami (OH, 19) and Arizona (18).
Iowa State’s back-to-back losses to Kansas and Cincinnati caused every team in the top eight to move up a spot with Michigan coming in at No. 3, Purdue at No. 4 and Duke at No. 5. Houston, unbeaten Nebraska, Gonzaga, Iowa State and Michigan State round out the top 10, in that order. Michigan remained ahead of UConn in the USA Today Coaches’ Poll at No. 2 and 3, respectively.
UConn has a 4-1 record against current ranked teams, including the loss to the Wildcats along with wins over No. 11 Illinois, No. 13 BYU, No. 16 Florida and No. 19 Kansas.
The Huskies’ 69-64 road win at Seton Hall on Tuesday night, and a loss to Butler on Saturday, bumped the Pirates out of the rankings after they entered at No. 25 and left the Big East with just one ranked team. St. John’s and Villanova, which will visit Hartford for UConn’s next game on Saturday, each received votes.
Reed, who scored 11 of UConn’s first 13 points in a dominant start at Georgetown on Saturday, was named to the Big East’s Weekly Honor Roll. He averaged 18 points, 10 rebounds, 3 blocks, 2 steals, and 1 assist, while connecting on 54.2% (13-24) of his shots from the floor in a 2-0 week, which included a 21-point, nine-rebound effort at Seton Hall. The Huskies trailed in the second half against Georgetown but came back for a two-point victory behind Reed’s third double-double of the year with 15 points, 11 rebounds, three steals and three blocks.
UConn enters the week at No. 11 by KenPom’s efficiency metrics with the No. 35 offense and No. 6 defense in the nation.
“There are no perfect teams. Rebounding’s still an issue for us. Taking care of the ball is an issue for us. But I don’t think we should have our fan base or anyone nitpicking an 18-1 team that’s 8-0 in the league. I think you should just be thrilled that you have a program and a team that is 18-1 and 8-0 in the league and ranked second in the country,” coach Dan Hurley said Saturday. “Just be happy about that. Don’t nitpick the players, if you want to nitpick the coach, nitpick the coach, but the team’s got a lot of growth to get better. Let’s not nipick the performances… Saturday at home, when we play I want to just see like an amazing crowd.”
AP Top 25 men’s basketball poll: Week 11
1. Arizona (61 first-place votes)2. UConn3. Michigan4. Purdue5. Duke6. Houston7. Nebraska8. Gonzaga9. Iowa State10. Michigan State11. Illinois12. Texas Tech13. BYU14. Virginia15. Vanderbilt16. Florida17. Alabama18. Clemson19. Kansas20. Arkansas21. Georgia22. North Carolina23. Louisville24. Saint Louis25. Miami (OH)
