The UConn men’s basketball team has marauded its way through the 2023-24 season like a horror movie villain, a juggernaut sure to inevitably inflict pain on its opponents.
But even Freddie Kruger’s got to have some monsters that keep him up at night.
The Huskies are the betting favorite to win a second straight national title and have been chosen in more than a quarter of brackets on ESPN.com so far, but that doesn’t mean they can rest easy as they embark on their East Region path to the Final Four.
Here’s a look at some of the biggest obstacles UConn will face in the East:
Red-hot Iowa State
The second-seeded Cyclones come whirling into the NCAA Tournament like a Category 5 storm– having eviscerated then-No. 1-ranked Houston, 69-41, in the Big 12 championship game, easily the Cougars’ worst loss of the season. Iowa State’s defense was stifling in that game, holding Houston to 26.8 percent shooting, including a 4-for-22 performance from three-point range.
Head coach T.J. Otzelberger‘s squad enters the Dance having won 11 of 13 games and boasts its gaudiest win-loss record since the 1999-2000 team that featured first-round NBA Draft picks Jamaal Tinsley and Marcus Fizer (32-5). Like Hurley, Otzelberger has received plenty of consideration for National Coach of the Year honors, and the job he’s done in Ames is underappreciated, as he took over a program that finished 2-22 in 2021, and has now guided it to three straight NCAA Tournament appearances.
Big Ten champion Illinois
Speaking of program-building coaches, Brad Underwood has been prolific since taking over the Illini in 2017, and this year’s squad is his best yet, having won 26 games and the Big Ten tournament title. Senior guard Terrence Shannon Jr. is enough to cause nightmares by himself, ranking third in the nation in scoring at 23 points per game and shooting 47% from the field. Forwards Marcus Domask, Coleman Hawkins and Quincy…
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