In what feels like a return to normalcy for many fans, the UConn men’s basketball team enters a new season with lofty expectations. At Big East media day, the unofficial start of the college basketball season, UConn — which came in at no. 24 in the first AP college basketball poll yesterday and is ranked no. 21 in KenPom — was picked to finish second in the 2021-22 Preseason Big East Coaches Poll behind conference heavyweight Villanova.
The Huskies received one first-place vote as well. This is UConn’s highest preseason ranking since 2016-2017 when the Huskies were picked to finish second in the American Athletic Conference (AAC).