The Huskies are firing on all cylinders a month forward of Choice Sunday. UConn received its 14th consecutive sport on Saturday in opposition to Huge East rival Marquette, exhibiting why it must be the clear favourite to win back-to-back NCAA Match championships.
The Related Press No. 1 workforce within the nation throttled No. 4 Marquette 81-53 at dwelling, UConn’s largest win over the Golden Eagles in program historical past.
ESPN’s Jeff Borzello additionally famous that it was the most important margin of victory in a top-five convention matchup in AP ballot historical past.
Faculty basketball analyst Jay Bilas hailed the Huskies as the very best workforce within the nation after the win, specializing in the workforce’s enchancment on the defensive finish.
Coming into Saturday, UConn ranked twenty fifth in scoring (82 factors per sport) and nineteenth in factors allowed (64.1 factors per sport). The Huskies additionally had the highest offensive ranking within the nation (123.1) whereas rating thirty fifth in defensive ranking (96.2).
Opponents shoot 39.8 % in opposition to the Huskies, and on Saturday, they held Marquette to 36.8 % (21-of-57) from the sector, together with 21.7 % (5-of-23) from three.
Offensively, UConn (24-2) senior guards Tristen Newton and Hassan Diarra mixed for 14 of the workforce’s 24 assists, and sophomore middle Donovan Clingan had 17 factors whereas including 10 rebounds, his second double-double of the season.
The Huskies are outscoring opponents by 16.9 factors per sport throughout their 14-game successful streak whereas capturing 40.2 % from past the arc.
Per ESPN Guess, UConn (+550) is the co-favorite to win the nationwide title together with Purdue.
Earlier on Saturday, the Boilermakers had been named the No. 1 total workforce by the NCAA Match choice committee.
Nonetheless, UConn’s dominant win over Marquette is a reminder that different groups are competing to be second-best.
