Connecticut Huskies
Record: 23-10 (11-7 American Athletic Conference)
Head Coach: Kevin Ollie (4th Season)
Season Recap: The Huskies entered postseason play squarely on the NCAA tournament bubble, but after an exciting four wins in seven days—including a four-overtime thriller against Cincinnati that required a 60-footer at the buzzer at the end of the third extra session to keep things going—they won the AAC championship and secured an automatic bid into the tourney. However, Connecticut has struggled with consistency against top opponents. They are 1-3 against ranked teams, and only 5-8 against teams in the NCAA tournament field. Sophomore swingman Daniel Hamilton has emerged as a leader of these Huskies, averaging 12.4 points, 8.9 rebounds and 4.8 assists to go along with 1.1 steals per game.
The Huskies are not an a great offensive team, ranking 169th in the nation in scoring at 73.5 points per game. They do, however, have a balanced offensive attack—four players average at least 12 points per game. This makes it difficult for defenses to hone in on any one scorer, allowing Connecticut to take its time on offense and lean on a defense that is tied for 15th in points allowed.
How they make a run: The Huskies stay hot and use its strong defense to stifle top-seeded Kansas in the second round, and Hamilton plays better than his season averages and plays some of the best basketball of his career.
How they falter: Connecticut struggles with fatigue after playing four games in a week, and they allow a tricky Colorado team to get to the rim at will en route to a first-round exit.
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.