2. UConn Huskies (16-6, 8-3 Big East)
UConn wasn’t left for dead, let’s be clear about that. But this team has struggled through various points of the season, most recently trailing DePaul by as many as 14 points – coming off a loss – before rallying to win.
The Huskies have been playing without superstar freshman Liam McNeeley and entered a soldout building on the road against Marquette and managed to secure its most impressive victory of the season on a 12-for-19 shooting night from 3-point range.
Solo Ball was sensational, Alex Karaban returned to his All-Big East form, and the duo of Samson Johnson and Tarris Reed contributed enough against a weak Marquette front court.
Turning point of the season?
Now, McNeeley is slated to return this week, and Storrs will be ready to explode when Rick Pitino and St. John’s comes to town for a primetime Friday night tipoff on national television.
Get your popcorn ready.
THIS WEEK: vs. St. John’s (Friday)
3. Marquette Golden Eagles (18-4, 9-2 Big East)
Marquette remains one of the best teams in the conference but there are some things that Shaka Smart must figure out with this team.
They trailed Butler by double digits in the first half on the road before rallying to win and its lopsided loss at home against UConn that was predicated on another slow start. That comes on the heels of a double-digit deficit at home against Georgetown three weeks ago as well nearly losing to DePaul.
Marquette is good but maybe not as talented as in years prior despite its Top-10 AP Poll ranking for the last several weeks.
Its trio of guards are fantastic as well as forward David Joplin, but its center spot leaves a lot to be desired and teams will exploit it until the Golden Eagles can find some type of answer.
Coming off a loss and lining up back-to-back road games will not be easy. This program has not lost three straight games since the 2021-22 season, Shaka Smart’s first year with the program.
THIS WEEK: at St. John’s (Tuesday) and at Creighton (Saturday)