The UConn men’s basketball team is making serious noise early in Big East play-and the rest of the country is starting to take notice. After a dominant start to conference action, the Huskies have climbed to No. 4 in the latest AP Top 25 poll, their highest ranking of the season so far.
They’re not just the top team in the Big East-they’re the only team from the conference currently in the Top 25. That shift came after St.
John’s dropped a tough one to Kentucky over the weekend, its fourth loss of the season, knocking them out of the rankings. Now, only Seton Hall remains close, sitting just outside the poll after rattling off five straight wins, including a road victory at Providence to open league play.
It’s the first time this season the Big East has had just one team in the AP Top 25, and UConn is carrying the banner with authority.
The Huskies opened their Big East slate with a statement win over Butler, 79-60, powered by a breakout performance from sophomore guard Solo Ball. Ball poured in a career-high 26 points in that one and earned a spot on the conference’s weekly honor roll.
He sat out Sunday’s win at DePaul with a wrist injury, but the team expects it to be minor. Even without him, UConn handled business, cruising to a 72-54 victory and improving to 2-0 in league play.
Their jump from No. 5 to No. 4 in the rankings was helped by Duke’s narrow 82-81 loss to Texas Tech at Madison Square Garden-a thriller that bumped the Blue Devils just outside the top five. The rest of the top tier held steady: Arizona remains at No. 1 with 38 first-place votes, followed by Michigan and Iowa State. Purdue slid up to No. 5, rounding out a tightly packed top group.
UConn’s résumé is more than just a hot start in conference play. The Huskies went 10-1 in nonconference action, notching four wins over teams currently ranked in this week’s poll: No.
10 BYU, No. 17 Kansas, No.
20 Illinois, and No. 22 Florida.
That’s a rock-solid collection of Quadrant One victories, and it’s helped them climb to No. 8 in the NET rankings.
Their lone blemish? A loss to Kentucky at Gampel Pavilion-without starters Tarris Reed Jr. and Braylon Mullins in the lineup.
The Wildcats, who received 38 first-place votes, showed why they’re a national title contender. But with UConn at full strength, that matchup could look very different down the road.
Here’s how the AP Top 25 shapes up in Week 7:
- Arizona (38 first-place votes)
- Michigan (19)
- Iowa State (1)
- UConn
- Purdue
- Duke
- Gonzaga
- Houston
- Michigan State
- BYU
- Vanderbilt
- North Carolina
- Nebraska
- Alabama
- Texas Tech
- Louisville
- Kansas
- Arkansas
- Tennessee
- Illinois
- Virginia
- Florida
- Georgia
- USC
- Iowa
UConn’s blend of depth, defense, and big-game experience is starting to look like the real deal. With the Big East crown up for grabs and national attention growing, the Huskies aren’t just aiming to stay in the Top 25-they’re making a push for something much bigger.