Having lost just two of its first 26 games in the 2025-2026 college basketball season, UConn appears destined to begin March Madness with a No. 1 seed. However, its placement in a weak conference and sharing a region with the unstoppable Duke could make its official Selection Sunday designation interesting, ESPN's Joe Lunardi suggested with his latest Bracketology projection.
While UConn will be favored to win out and win the 2026 Big East Tournament, it could still be in danger of falling out of the No. 1 seed range. Lunardi believes the Huskies will be stuck between being the No. 1 seed of a different region or the No. 2 seed in the East, behind Duke.
“The Huskies haven’t done anything wrong; they are simply being caught from behind by teams from stronger conferences, all with more opportunities for high-end wins. Add to that the probability of them being a 1-seed outside of the East Region — likely in the South, with the Cougars as the No. 2 seed — and it begs the question: Would the Huskies be better off as a 2-seed regardless?
“Obviously, they would prefer the East's 1-seed, but Duke has the inside track for that. So, Husky Nation has to weigh potential Elite Eight games in Washington, D.C. (against Duke as a 2-seed) or in Houston (versus the Cougars as a 1-seed). Let’s call it the UConn conundrum. It’s not going away anytime soon.”
UConn has a strong non-conference resume, including wins over Kansas, Illinois, Florida and BYU. But a down year in the Big East has not given the Huskies opportunities to shine in conference play, allowing teams from more competitive leagues to surpass them.
UConn still has to beat St. John's twice more to win the Big East Tournament and have a shot at a No. 1 seed. The Red Storm are the only Big East foe to defeat the Huskies this season and are the defending conference tournament champions.
