#2 UConn

#2 UConn

by Peter Bard

National Championships: 4

Head Coach: Jim Calhoun

Nickname: Huskies

UConn can throw a lot of looks at you with this assortment of players. With the entire starting lineup (and one member of the bench) all former First Team All-Americans, they don’t have any clear weaknesses, and this team will be able to score points in a hurry, creating mismatches and getting out on the break, as Jim Calhoun’s teams always did so beautifully.

The starting lineup is, in my opinion, the five best players ever at the school, but some of them may need to adjust their games to give UConn a chance to win this. Hamilton, used as the featured scorer on the ’99 Champs, will likely take a backseat to the inimitable Ray Allen, likely the Huskies’ only Hall of Famer. Walker will have to cede some control of the ball, while Marshall and especially Okafor will likely not be offensive focal points. The ability to bring a skilled scoring big off the bench in Robinson, or a traditional rebounding 4-man in Kimball, makes the frontcourt more dangerous. Butler’s physicality, defense, and rebounding make him an excellent complement to Hamilton. Napier and Gordon bring ballhandling and clutch shooting. In addition, UConn features the wily Calhoun on the sideline, and few are as adept at mixing and matching talented players to produce the best results. While the Huskies missed out on a top seed, don’t be surprised if they’re cutting down the fake nets at the end of this.