The UCONN men’s basketball team is on fire this season; they are 24-2 and currently on a 14-game win streak. They just took down number 4 Marquette in an 81-53 blowout. Marquette looked like a high school freshman team rather than the number 4 team in the country. They will go for a 15th straight win tonight in another tough matchup, on paper at least, in number 17 Creighton.
2023 Season
Last year, the UCONN men returned to the promised land when they defeated San Diego State in the NCAA tournament final, winning their fifth championship in program history and their first since 2014. In that tournament, UCONN looked untouchable, defeating opponents by an average of 20 points, withe being the semifinal vs Miami, the closest gam where UCONN won 72-59. They’ve looked even better this season, especially over the past two months. Many people wonder if they could repeat as NCAA tournament champs.
What makes UCONN unique
The unique thing about UCONN is that many people contribute to their success. Cam Spencer is their leading scorer with 15.2 PPG, but they also have Tristen Newton with 15.0 PPG and Alex Karaban with 14.6 PPG. Newton has been their leading playmaker all year with 5.8 APG. Clignan has missed some time this year but has been their defensive anchor with 2.2 BPG. This is a very well-rounded UCONN team on both ends of the floor. According to KENPOM rankings, they are the country’s third-best offense and 11th-best defense. They have a +30 rating between their offense and defense, ranking them 2nd in the nation behind Houston.
Can UCONN win this year’s tournament?
Can UCONN go back to back? This hasn’t happened much in the history of the NCAA tournament. Since the inaugural year in 1939, there have only been seven teams to go back to back. UCLA is a particular case since they dominated the late 60s and early 70s, winning nine championships in 10 years with seven straight from 1967-1973. The last team to accomplish this feat was the 06-07 Florida Gators. UCONN has a lot of similarities to this squad; both teams had two losses by Christmas, then went on long winning streaks in the middle part of the season; the difference is Florida returned all five starters in their back-to-back year while UCONN did not.
As we approach the final weeks of the regular season, UCONN is at the top of most brackets; they have been the number 1 team in the country for the past six weeks with no signs of them falling down any time soon, barring an unexpected loss. They have five more games remaining on the schedule, with the most pressing game being a rematch with Marquette on March 6th. UCONN is the odds-on favorite to win March Madness with +500 odds. They will play in the eastern region with powerhouses such as North Carolina, Iowa State, and Auburn. It will be a challenging road for UCONN to win back-to-back.