The UConn Huskies men’s basketball team dropped out of the Associated Press Top 25 rankings ahead of their matchup with No. 24 Creighton on Tuesday night. Head coach Dan Hurley remains unfazed by the Huskies’ drop, though, and he said so before beating the Bluejays 70-66.
UConn Looks to Rebound After Falling Out of AP Top 25
UConn ended the first half trailing 37-29 against Creighton before grabbing the win. Hurley’s team is looking to sweep the season series after winning the previous matchup 68-63. The Huskies, reigning back-to-back national champions, have been inconsistent, going 4-4 over their last eight games and holding a 16-7 record overall.
Despite a promising start, UConn’s loss to No. 9 St. John’s last Friday. They blew a 14-point lead, and the defeat knocked them out of the AP Top 25 for the first time since the 2022–23 preseason poll. Hurley, however, dismissed the significance of their ranking drop.
“No one gets crowned in February. There’s no crowns handed out for a while here. Obviously, in today’s world, there’s going to be very quick reactions and all types of hot takes,” Hurley said per Adam Zagoria of NJ.com.
UConn started the 2024-25 season ranked No. 3 in the AP poll and climbed as high as No. 2 before slipping. Still, Hurley remains confident that his team can turn things around before the postseason.
Injuries have played a significant role in UConn’s recent struggles. Freshman forward Liam McNeeley, an essential piece of the lineup, has only played in 15 games due to an ankle injury. Senior point guard Hassan Diarra has also been limited by knee issues, leaving the Huskies without key contributors.
The team’s inconsistency has been frustrating, as UConn has shown flashes of dominance but has failed to close out crucial games. Their recent loss to St. John’s highlighted their difficulties in maintaining leads, a problem Hurley acknowledges.
“There’s no crowns that get handed out on February 10. I know we didn’t get any crowns the last two years in the beginning of February. So everyone’s got to keep playing, and all the big things get decided in March,” Hurley reiterated.
Looking Ahead to March Madness
Despite recent setbacks, UConn remains a dangerous team when healthy and focused. Their national championship pedigree speaks for itself, and if they can clean up their late-game execution, they could still make a deep tournament run.
As they push forward, Hurley’s squad must focus on regaining consistency, improving their defense, and overcoming injuries. With key conference matchups ahead, the Huskies still have time to prove they belong among college basketball’s elite.
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The road to March is never easy, but if UConn can peak at the right time, they could once again be a team no one wants to face in the NCAA Tournament.
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