UConn Climb Coming After Purdue Loss

The UConn Huskies and Dan Hurley could see their team rise in the upcoming rankings after the number one ranked Purdue Boilermakers lost at home to the Iowa State Cyclones.

The Huskies are currently ranked number 5, but after the Boilermakers loss, Hurley could see his team reach the top four if the committee sees it that way.

The Huskies are off to an 8-1 start so far this year and have won their last few games without star center Tarris Reed Jr. To keep winning games without their star center and the fact that they have started to ease five-star freshman Braylon Mullins back into action lately as he is coming off an injury.

The committee that makes the rankings could also see that the Huskies only loss to the Arizona Wildcats being by four and the fact that the Huskies almost won that game being down Reed Jr. and Mullins. The main reason the Huskies lost that game was because they missed too many free throws.

Dec 5, 2025; Storrs, Connecticut, USA; UConn Huskies guard Braylon Mullins (24) warms up before the start of the game against East Texas A&M at Harry A. Gampel Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images | David Butler II-Imagn Images

The Huskies are a team of championship caliber, and they have a championship head coach in Hurley that has won back-to-back titles. And the fact that the Huskies played the eventual champion Florida Gators the best last season in the second round of the NCAA Tournament despite losing the game.

The committee could see that the Huskies are getting to almost full health and the fact that they have wins over Kansas and Illinois and BYU as huge wins and move them up. There is still work to do for the Huskies though as they play the Gators at Madison Square Garden and the Texas Longhorns at home.

The teams ahead of the Huskies moving up ahead of Purdue could also help UConn

Outside of Purdue, the teams ahead of the Huskies are Duke at number four, Michigan at number 3, and the Wildcats at number 2. The Wildcats have the victory over the Huskies early in the year but was aided by the Huskies not being at full strength.

Duke just took down Michigan State on the road as the Spartans were ranked number 7 so Purdue losing could move them up. And Duke moving up along with Michigan and Arizona moving up, can really benefit the Huskies.

The Huskies could have had a bigger case of moving up over Duke if they had lost to the Spartans but that was not the case. But with Purdue taking the loss, UConn generally has the better team on paper and has the better head coach.

Fans should remember the last time the Huskies took on the Boilermakers a few short seasons ago in the National Championship Game, the Huskies reigned superior. But now with the recent rankings, the Huskies should move up at least one spot to number four and the Boilermakers should drop to at most number 5 where the Huskies currently are.

The case can also be made for the Huskies that despite them and the Boilermakers having the same 8-1 record, the Huskies have better ranked wins than Purdue does. The Boilermakers beat Alabama and Texas Tech this year while UConn beat BYU Illinois and Kansas. The Huskies resume is better.

It shall be seen whether the committee that makes the rankings agrees. The Huskies should be ranked higher than Purdue after this, but that remains to be determined.

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