With Big East play tipping off this week, UConn finds itself in an unusual spot for a reigning national champion: dominant, battle-tested, and yet possibly facing a Quad One drought for the foreseeable future. The Huskies powered through one of the toughest nonconference schedules in program history, finishing 10-1 and going 4-1 in Quad One games - and they did it while managing injuries. That’s no small feat.
As things stand through Dec. 13, UConn won’t see another Quad One opponent until Jan. 13, when they head to Newark to face Seton Hall - a trip that’s been anything but friendly over the years. But the Huskies knew what was at stake early.
“We knew that we had to come through,” head coach Dan Hurley said. “We talked about it as a team - we needed to come in with the best NET that we could.”
And they delivered. UConn went 4-1 in Quad One games and added a Quad Two win to the résumé.
That kind of nonconference performance gives them a solid foundation for March, especially with the Big East offering fewer high-end opportunities this season.
UConn, currently sitting at No. 8 in the NET rankings, opens conference play Tuesday night in Hartford against Butler - a team that’s already made some early noise.
Let’s take a look around the rest of the Big East and how things are shaping up as league play begins.
Biggest Surprise: Seton Hall’s Rise from the Basement
Picked to finish dead last in the Big East Preseason Coaches Poll, Seton Hall has flipped the script in a big way. The Pirates enter conference play at 10-1 - the same number of wins as they had incoming transfers - after a brutal 7-25 campaign last year that included just two wins in conference play.
Now in Year Four under Shaheen Holloway, Seton Hall is one of only two teams in the league with multiple Quad One wins (the other being UConn). They opened their Maui Invitational run with a win over NC State, then went on the road and took down Kansas State in convincing fashion.
Their lone loss? A two-point nail-biter against USC, who went on to win the Maui title.
They wrapped up their nonconference slate with another high-major win, this time against in-state rival Rutgers.
This is a team that’s defending, scrapping, and playing with a chip - and that’s exactly how Holloway likes it.
St. John’s: Talented, But Still Searching for Identity
Rick Pitino’s first season at St. John’s has been anything but straightforward.
The Johnnies sit at 6-3, with all three losses coming in Quad One games against Alabama, Iowa State, and Auburn. The talent is there - no question - but the rotation and roles are still very much in flux.
Pitino has shuffled the deck at point guard, initially handing the keys to Ian Jackson, a highly touted recruit who transferred in from North Carolina. Then came a philosophical pivot - Pitino declared the point guard position “totally done in basketball,” signaling a move toward a positionless system.
That didn’t stick either. Stanford transfer Oziyah Sellers got a shot, then Dylan Darling from Idaho State, and now Jackson is back in the mix, as seen in Saturday’s win over Iona - just the team’s second game since Nov.
The Johnnies have slid to No. 22 in the AP poll after starting the year at No. 5, but there’s time to figure it out. Their first clash with UConn doesn’t come until Feb. 6 at Madison Square Garden, and you can bet Pitino will have his group ready by then.
Creighton & Marquette: From Contenders to Question Marks
Creighton, projected to finish third in the Big East, has stumbled out of the gate. The Bluejays are 5-5 and still searching for their first Quad One or Two win.
They were blown out by Gonzaga and lost preseason third-teamer Jackson McAndrew to a season-ending foot injury just two games later. Iowa transfer Josh Dix has stepped up as the leading scorer, but the team has dropped four of its last six, including a home loss to Kansas State.
Then there’s Marquette. Shaka Smart made a bold call to avoid the transfer portal this offseason, and so far, it hasn’t paid off.
The Golden Eagles are 5-6, ranked No. 99 on KenPom, and sit at No. 166 in the NET - the lowest in the Big East. They’ve yet to win a game outside of Quad Four.
It’s a tough spot for a program that had high hopes entering the season, and the path back to relevance won’t be easy.
Sleepers Emerging: Butler and Georgetown
Butler could end up being one of the league’s more intriguing bubble teams come March. The Bulldogs, No. 46 in the NET, already have a Quad One win over Virginia and are led by the dynamic duo of Finley Bizjack and Michael Ajayi. They’ve shown they can hang with top-tier competition, and Tuesday’s game against UConn is a chance to further solidify their case.
Georgetown, in Year Three under Ed Cooley, has added some legitimate talent and picked up a Quad One win over Clemson early in the season. But they’ve also been without 7-foot-1 center Vince Iwuchukwu since mid-November due to a medical issue.
Without him, the Hoyas have dropped games to Dayton (in overtime), Miami, and North Carolina. Still, there’s enough on this roster to make some noise in conference play if they can get healthy and find consistency.
Still Unproven: DePaul, Villanova, Providence, Xavier
There’s a lot of uncertainty surrounding this group. DePaul, now in Year Two under Chris Holtmann, managed a Quad One road win at Wichita State but also suffered a Quad Three loss to Buffalo - at home, and by a wide margin. That kind of inconsistency is tough to overcome in a deep league.
Villanova is in Year One of the Kevin Williard era and has yet to notch a win outside of Quad Four. All eight of their victories have come against lower-tier opponents, but with only two losses (to BYU and Michigan), they’ve avoided disaster. Ranked No. 33 on KenPom, the Wildcats have a big opportunity to close out nonconference play with a quality win against Wisconsin on Friday.
Providence, picked fourth in the preseason, is still finding its footing under Kim English. After a 12-20 season last year, the Friars have shown improvement behind Jason Edwards and Jaylin Sellers, with five players averaging double figures. But their defense remains a concern, as evidenced by Saturday’s double-overtime loss to Butler.
Xavier, coached by Richard Pitino, had a rocky start - including a 19-point home loss to Santa Clara. But the Musketeers have shown flashes since then, narrowly missing a win over Georgia and picking up victories against West Virginia and Cincinnati. They’ll get a major test on New Year’s Eve when they host UConn.
Looking Ahead
As Big East play begins, UConn stands atop the league as the most battle-tested team, but the road ahead won’t be easy. Seton Hall is surging, St. John’s is dangerous despite its growing pains, and teams like Butler and Georgetown are capable of springing upsets.
The league may not be overflowing with Quad One opportunities, but that just means every game - every possession - carries weight. For teams on the bubble, it’s time to start stacking wins. For UConn, it’s about sustaining the level that got them here.
Conference play is here. Let the grind begin.