Heading into the season, it was easy to assert that the UConn, once again, would win the Big East. Rinse, repeat and Huskies on top.
However, non-conference play has raised questions about UConn’s fated, favored status. The Huskies, ranked No. 2 in the country to begin the season, already have dropped three games, in part due to another bout of bad injury luck. But, the Big East does have an undefeated team: the Marquette Golden Eagles.
Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. ET, No. 18 Marquette (12-0, 1-0) heads to Hartford with an opportunity to prove that they, not No. 15 UConn (9-3, 1-0), are the team to beat in the Big East.
Yet, a look beyond the Huskies’ three losses and the Golden Eagles’ unblemished mark suggests that UConn remains the better team, something reflected in their higher ranking.
While it was shocking to see the Huskies suffer three losses by early December, those three losses came to the teams currently ranked No. 3 (NC State), No. 2 (UCLA) and No. 5 (Texas) in the nation. And none of three losses were at home. At home, the Huskies are unbeaten, with victories over ranked teams in then-No. 20 Maryland and then-No. 18 Louisville, in addition to a win over then-No. 24 UNC at nearby Mohegan Sun Arena.
The Huskies also are riding a five-game winning…
