The Huskies rise six spots to re-enter the top 20
The UConn men’s basketball team returns to the No. 19 slot in the latest AP Top 25 Poll following one of its most pivotal weeks of play, securing two massive wins against DePaul and Marquette.
To say this was a big week for the Huskies is an understatement. UConn looked lost after a rough stretch in which it lost to Creighton and Xavier while narrowly scraping by with a win against Butler in overtime over a three-game span. The team got back on track with a 72-61 win over DePaul Wednesday before stealing a much-needed win over top-10 ranked Marquette on its home court Saturday night.
Rightfully so, sophomore guard Solo Ball was awarded Big East Player of the Week honors in what continues to be an impressive breakout year for the young talent. He put up 16 points in the win over DePaul, adding five rebounds with two assists and two blocks apiece. But what most warrants the nod was the performance he put on against Marquette. Ball exploded for 25 points, shooting a scathing-hot 7-9 from three. He added 11 rebounds, three assists and a block to round out his dominant night. Both his point and rebound totals were career highs.
The win bumped UConn up six spots in the poll, but only knocked the Golden Eagles down from No. 9 to No. 11. It did much more damage to Marquette in the advanced-metric ranking systems, with the team now regarded as the nation’s 19th best according to KenPom and 18th best according to the NCAA’s NET ratings. UConn ranks No. 34 in KenPom and No. 32 in the NET following the win.
For the Huskies, the win over Marquette reestablishes the team as a force to be reckoned with in the Big East. When they welcome back freshman Liam McNeeley from injury in the coming days, the team will only grow stronger. But UConn isn’t out of the woods yet. The team’s toughest stretch of the season continues with their next two matchups, squaring off against top-ranked St. John’s (AP No. 12, KenPom No. 16, NET No. 24) and Creighton (KenPom No. 32, NET No. 36).
St. John’s will be UConn’s only game of this week, a Friday night matchup at Gampel Pavilion, giving the Huskies six days of rest between games. Tipoff is set for 8:00 p.m. ET.