The parity in college basketball is insane … or is it?
Most college basketball fans are quick to cast aside top-tier teams after they struggle against seemingly inferior opponents. Some were concerned if Houston’s transition to the Big 12 would be tougher than expected after losing back-to-back conference games in January. Each time Purdue loses a regular season game, critics immediately scream about the program’s lack of success in March.
Similar negative narratives follow Arizona, Duke, Tennessee and other top programs. However, it would be crazy to impose a strong opinion on No. 1 UConn after losing by 19 to No. 15 Creighton on Tuesday evening.
One saying that gets taken too lightly by casual fans is: “It’s hard to win on the road.” But, this is a true fact for every team — even the No. 1 team in the nation. In fact, it might even be more factual for the country’s top team.
To add emphasis on how true this statement can be, the Huskies have won a national championship since their last road victory over a ranked opponent in 2014, per the Field of 68.
Last night’s game came down to the Bluejays finding their groove from behind the arc while Huskies struggled from deep. Creighton nailed 11 more 3s than Connecticut while shooting the trey at 50% clip. With 3s dropping and a home crowd rocking, the majority of teams would’ve found it incredibly tough to walk out of CHI Health Center with a win.
But, despite this off-night, UConn should still remain as a favorite to be back-to-back national champions come April. After watching the Huskies fully dismantle a terrific Marquette team this past weekend, it’s clear that no team plays with a greater sense of urgency on both ends of the floor than Dan Hurley‘s squad. This will bode well for UConn since there’s no room to be relaxed come March.
Not to mention, UConn has a 7-foot-2 giant in Donovan Clingan who is constantly surrounded by four players with supreme skill and tremendous feel for the game.
Although dropping a game in the fashion that UConn did to Creighton would end their season in March, it’s important to remember that all games in the NCAA tournament are played at a neutral site. Each of Connecticut’s three losses have came on the road to two of the top teams in the sport in Creighton and Kansas. Their third loss was to a formidable opponent in Seton Hall that currently sits in fourth place in the Big East.
With that in mind, fans shouldn’t be rash to cast UConn off as last year’s news as the Huskies are still in great position to win the NCAA tournament.
