2. UConn (10-0)
Congratulations to Connecticut center
Adama Sanogo, who last weekend provided what is so far — and is very likely to remain — the hardest quote of the 2022-23 season.
“They thought they had a chance to win the game tonight,” Sanogo said, after UConn’s 74-64 win over
Oklahoma State. “They did not.”
Colllld-bloooooded. Also not incorrect. The
Cowboys kept it marginal for the first 10 minutes, but UConn blew it open before halftime —
Jordan Hawkins finally exploded, finishing 5-of-9 from 3 — and despite the relatively modest final score the game was never really a game from there. What was even more impressive was that the same dynamic at play again Wednesday night at Florida. The
Gators appear to be a very average team, and they’re 6-3 having topped no one notable, but there are good players there (in particular
Colin Castleton), but the
Huskies, playing in a true road environment, just totally cruised the duration. It wasn’t a knockout win against another potential No. 1 seed, but it was the kind of consummate, comprehensive performance you really only ever see from teams with a chance to win the national title — from a group that no one has come close to touching in any of their first 10 games of the season, including some very strong competition. Where
Houston and
Virginia have had the occasional off night, even against so-so teams, the Huskies have exclusively dominated whenever they’ve touched the floor.
UConn thinks it has a chance to win a whole lot more than just one game. Right now, it thinks it can win everything. It should.
theathletic.com
