The Huskies are back, baby! This isn’t just momentum, it’s a full-on revival for UConn and Dan Hurley. For the last four games, they’ve truly shown that they are championship contenders, bouncing back from a St. John’s upset. However, even with their late resurgence, they are still only the third team in the Big East. Cracking a top-five seed for the national tournament doesn’t look likely, and analysts believe that might be for their own benefit.

On The Field of 68: After Dark, former ACC John Henson discussed UConn’s post-season picture. He mentioned that their upset win over Marquette didn’t surprise him and that Hurley’s team can do a lot better than people think. While they’re not as good as the last two championship teams, according to Henson, “UConn is gonna be UConn.”

Don’t be fooled by their lower seeding, too. The former ACC DPOY warned the NCAA about underestimating UConn’s roster. “They’re going to be the eight or nine seed. I swear to you, that might be the toughest eight-nine seed I’ve seen in the last five years.” UConn faced a lot of issues building rhythm early in the season because of injuries. Now that they have it going, Dan Hurley’s team can match up with just about any roster in college basketball.

And with how low they are ranked, they won’t meet the big name teams until the second round. Currently, according to ESPN Bracketology, UConn stands at number 8 in the tournament. Their opponent in the second round will most likely end up being Duke, and Henson has some words of warning for anyone looking to get through UConn. “They can definitely upset some teams.”

Still, there are two weeks before any of this materializes. If they perform well in the Big East Tournament, UConn has a chance for a higher bid for the coming March Madness. What’s more important, however, is for the Huskies seniors to lock in and focus in on the upcoming challenges. They have a real shot at winning this year, but players like Karaban, McNeeley, and Samson Johnson will have to step up.

Dan Hurley’s luck is turning around at the nick of time

The UConn program is used to winning. There’s no doubt about it. Dan Hurley’s team has been dominating the national tournament for the past two years, and they’re looking to get that elusive third. Recently, however, they’ve been getting ‘drunk on their own success’ according to Hurley.

Their gameplay has been robotic to say the least, and they’ve lost crucial matchups this season. Notably, Rick Pitino’s St. John’s has gotten the better of them twice recently. Alex Karaban, their star forward, had a pretty bad shooting slump, but he has finally caught rhythm.

Dan Hurley has had to deal with a lot this season. Liam McNeeley got injured, and the team’s fate changed for the worst. Not only that, he has been facing an immense amount of criticism for his attitude. Their recent change in fortune could lead to the team living up to its potential. At the end of the day, Hurley’s team always stands a chance.

It will be interesting to see how UConn progresses in March. The Huskies can give competition to just about any team in any conference. They are well-coached, and have a lot of championship experience. With how they are playing, a deep playoff run seems quite likely for the defending champs.