College basketball fans entered Saturday afternoon anticipating one of the best games of the regular season. When the two-plus hours on the hardwood concluded in Hartford, Conneticut, there was one consensus:
The Connecticut Huskies are clearly the best team in college basketball.
[UConn relies on depth, relentless defensive pressure in statement win over Marquette]
The reigning national champions didn’t just beat No. 4 Marquette. They humiliated the Golden Eagles, ending their eight-game winning streak and rolling to an 81-53 laugher that turned into one big party at the XL Center.
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The Huskies’ 28-point margin of victory was the largest in an AP top-five matchup in the poll’s history.
Let me make this clear: Nobody was going to beat No. 1-ranked UConn on Saturday. In fact, nobody was coming within single digits of the Huskies on this day. And for that matter, nobody has been able to beat Connecticut since Seton Hall accomplished the feat back on Dec. 20, 2023, as Dan Hurley’s team has the nation’s longest winning streak at 14 consecutive victories.
“Obviously the game went as well as it could go for us and as poorly as it could go for them,” said Hurley, whose team improved to 24-2 overall and 14-1 in Big East play with the win.
So, it’s that time to have the discussion.
Previously, I felt it was premature to dive all the way in on comparing this UConn team to last year’s national championship squad. But at this point, this group isn’t going to have a major rut. Could they drop a road game or two at Creighton, Marquette or Providence? It’s possible, but they’ve lost twice all season, even after dealing with Donovan Clingan‘s foot injury, and we’re in the back half of February.
Is this Connecticut better than last year? I really think so, and look at it this way:
Last year, UConn did hit a wall. The Huskies started the season 14-0, then proceeded to lose six of eight in a January cold spell. When teams were forcing Andre Jackson Jr. to shoot the ball, Hurley made a change, having him handle it more and getting him to attack the basket. What proceeded to occur was a 15-2 run, with the Huskies winning every NCAA Tournament game by double figures.
This time around? The Big East hasn’t been able to slow down Hurley’s team. During the Huskies’ 14-game winning streak, they have won eight games by double figures. Even better, they have won those games by an average of 17 points.
The fact that part of this winning streak came without Clingan, who had 17 points and 10 rebounds in Saturday’s win, makes this team really scary because they’ve figured out how to cover ball screens and defend when he’s out. When he’s in the game, they’ve been among the best defensive teams in America.
Donovan Clingan throws down a MONSTER jam to extend UConn’s lead over Marquette
Tristen Newton went for 15 points, eight rebounds and eight assists on Saturday. Cam Spencer and this team’s X-factor, Hassan Diarra, had 14 apiece, while Diarra added eight assists.
That balance, despite the fact Stephon Castle and sharpshooting four-man Alex Karaban finished 3-for-16 in the game, is really special. Think about that: Two starters struggled in this game, and UConn didn’t flinch. Instead, they thrived.
The Huskies’ offense is the known commodity, with so many returning pieces from last year’s title team, and the additions of Spencer and Castle. But the defensive growth of this team is what has me believing in the idea that they’re even better than last year. They’ve gone from outside the top 30 in defensive efficiency to now being ranked 11th in the nation after Saturday.
Yes, the trio of Adama Sanogo, Jordan Hawkins and Jackson went off to the NBA, but this UConn team could end up having more pros on it with Castle – a sure-fire lottery pick – as well as Karaban, Clingan, and even Newton. Don’t forget about one of the best freshman classes in the country, which we haven’t seen enough of because of just how strong the starting core is.
Are Samson Johnson and Clingan as good as the duo of Sanogo and “Cling Kong”? No, but Johnson has held his own and did so on Saturday. For me, it’s more about the fact that Newton has been so consistent this year, rather than turning it on late last season. Spencer has actually been more productive than Hawkins. He’s the key piece to this whole puzzle both in his contributions and mentality. When you combine that with Clingan and Karaban, who are so mature beyond their years, and a player in Diarra, who has taken a seismic leap this season in productivity, it’s a great combination.
With Saturday’s victory, UConn has now won three straight Big East games by 25-or-more points. That’s the first time in the history of the conference, which was founded in 1979, that a team has accomplished that feat.
“We were just trying to prove who we are, and we’re just out here trying to win,” Clingan said after the win.
In holding Big East Player of the Year front-runner Tyler Kolek to 2-of-11 shooting from the floor and outrebounding Marquette, 45-27, the Huskies definitely proved themselves.
The computers, and the selection committee, have Purdue as the projected No. 1 overall seed for the NCAA Tournament, and understandably so, as the Boilermakers have nine Quad 1 wins and another six in Quadrant 2.
But all of that doesn’t matter in March, as Purdue learned the hard way last year. The Huskies, instead, flourished under the bright lights. And just when you think this program – this blue-blood program – can’t impress you even more, they keep finding ways to do so.
No. 4 Marquette Golden Eagles vs. No. 1 Connecticut Huskies Highlights
Marquette is not a bad team. Remember, they took No. 2 Purdue to the last possession in the Maui Invitational final back in November. The Golden Eagles just flew into a buzzsaw originating out of Storrs on Saturday.
UConn isn’t just the best team in the country. They’ve found separation from other top teams, even Purdue. This team has somehow had zero drop-off from last year’s run, and they’re no longer chasing what last season’s team did in terms of their makeup.
Yes, last year’s Huskies were dominant in the Big Dance, but this year’s group has impressed that much more because they’ve done it all season, and now, they can taste the sweet feeling of the program’s first regular-season Big East championship in 18 years.
Celebrate, Connecticut. You’ve got more to do, but the Huskies’ rise back to the top wasn’t a one-year thing. We could be watching a dynasty run be born, something that is especially hard to do in the current climate of the sport.
John Fanta is a national college basketball broadcaster and writer for FOX Sports. He covers the sport in a variety of capacities, from calling games on FS1 to serving as lead host on the BIG EAST Digital Network to providing commentary on The Field of 68 Media Network. Follow him on Twitter at @John_Fanta.
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