The Big Lead

The two-time defending National Champions look a little shaky

By Max Weisman

UConn has now lost two games in a row for the first time since the 2022-23 season
UConn has now lost two games in a row for the first time since the 2022-23 season / Marco Garcia-Imagn Images
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Has College Basketball caught up with UConn? The No. 2 Huskies were upset for the second day in a row by an unranked team at the Maui Invitational, losing 73-72 Tuesday afternoon to Colorado. The two-time defending National Champs were already playing in the loser's bracket of the tournament after being upset 99-97 in overtime by Memphis on Monday. It's the first time UConn has lost two non-conference games in a row since the 2017-18 season.

UConn head coach Dan Hurley has taken out a lot of frustration against the referees in these two losses. Against Memphis, Hurley was called for a technical foul after protesting an over-the-back foul on Liam McNeely. CBS Sports' Kyle Boone put together a compilation of Hurley clashing with the refs throughout the game.

Against Colorado, UConn had a few 11-point leads in the first half and it looked like they'd bounce back after their shocking loss the day before. Colorado, though, opened the second half with a 16-6 run, and the teams went the rest of the way neck and neck.

With UConn ahead by one and under 30 seconds to play, Colorado guard Javon Ruffin missed a three-pointer and Trevor Baskin grabbed an offensive rebound over McNeely and wasn't called for an over-the-back. Hurley was incensed.

RELATED: Recapping a wild day one of the Maui Invitational

After a Colorado timeout, forward Andrej Jakimovsky hit a go-ahead layup with eight seconds left, and Hassan Diarra missed a last-second three to seal UConn's second loss in a row. What do these losses mean for the Huskies and the rest of College Basketball?

For one, UConn will likely drop significantly in the rankings, though they wouldn't fall out as long as they don't lose another game. There are currently two two-loss teams in the rankings, No. 17 Baylor and No. 24 Arizona.

Two, UConn is currently not one of the best teams in the nation. Kansas, Gonzaga and Auburn are all vying for the 'best team in the country' title. The Zags destroyed Baylor to start the season but haven't played a ranked team since. Kansas has now beaten both North Carolina and Duke, beating the Blue Devils 75-72 Tuesday night. Auburn is a win over Memphis away from winning the Maui Invitational, going through a gauntlet of Iowa State and North Carolina to get there.

UConn can get themselves back in the 'best team in the country' conversation by mid-December, though. They play No. 17 Baylor on December 4 and No. 3 Gonzaga on December 14 at Madison Square Garden. For now, these two shocking losses will likely have UConn the lowest in the AP Poll they've been since February 2023.

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