STORRS, Conn. _ Dan Hurley was asked to disregard the metrics, put the records aside and give his team the eyeball test.
Are the Huskies a postseason-caliber team?
"Absolutely," he said, after UConn's 77-71 win over Houston in AAC men's basketball Thursday. "Hey, listen, there were growing pains early in the season that we experienced in the nonconference. Not taking anything away from St. Joe's, but there was a lot going on that day. James Bouknight probably could have helped us in that game, not having him put us behind the 8-ball, but we did the right thing. It's caused us to have a real stain on our resume. And obviously, at the start of conference play, we were still going through those growing pains. But we've beaten some NCAA teams _ Houston's an NCAA team, Cincinnati's an NCAA team, Florida's an NCAA team. We've either beaten or gone to overtime against NCAA teams. If we continue to play well, we should have a chance to go somewhere."
If Hurley's answer was rambling, it's because this is complicated. The Huskies, 18-12 and 9-8 in the league, woke up Friday at No. 61 in the NCAA NetRanking, and No. 49 in the influential KenPom ratings, their first "Quadrant 1" win moved the needle only slightly. Those numbers will need to improve. Bracket analysts believe there will be well over 30 teams on the bubble, not yet including UConn, vying for less than 20 at-large bids to the NCAA Tournament. UConn's case leans toward the subjective side, in a process that has become less subjective in recent years.
The Nov. 13 loss to St. Joseph, which is 6-24, hurts, but it was the second game of the season and Bouknight was suspended for his off-the-court legal issues. Losses to Wichita State, and at SMU and Temple came as the Huskies were adjusting to the loss of Tyler Polley, and then Akok Akok to injury. UConn has lost nine games by seven points or less, four in overtime, three in double overtime. One bounce, one basket, might have meant a valuable win over Wichita State, Xavier, Villanova, Indiana or at Houston. And the Huskies, though shorthanded, are playing their best basketball over the last month, with eight wins in the last 11 games.
UConn is tied with SMU at 9-8, one game back of Wichita State and Memphis in conference standings. Fourth place, and a bye, appear unreachable with tie-breakers. With a win at last-place Tulane in the regular-season finale on Saturday, the Huskies will stay in that 5-6-7 range for the conference tournament next week. If they win the first-round game, they'd get more chances to face quality opponents. If they reach the final and lose, the Huskies would have 22 wins and possibly have the metrics then for NCAA consideration, but would most likely go to the NIT.
The Huskies, rightly, are focused on winning the tournament, if it takes four wins in four days, and getting its automatic NCAA berth.
"We know we can beat any team in the field," Hurley said.
"I don't think any team wants to play us," Bouknight said.
"None at all," Jalen Gaffney responded, via Twitter.'
So UConn may not make the NCAA Tournament, but for the first time in four years, they look like a Tournament team.
