UConn began its toughest seven-game stretch of the season Friday. It's a set of games featuring five contests against power-conference opponents projected to make the 2027 NCAA Tournament, four of which are in Saturday morning's updated CBS Sports Top 25 And 1 daily college basketball rankings.
On CBS Sports HQ, just before the Huskies tipped against Ohio State, I was asked how I thought UConn would do over this span, one we now know Dan Hurley's team will have to get through without Nik Khamenia, the 6-foot-8 transfer from Duke who suffered a left-foot injury in Monday's win over Wagner.
I predicted a 5-2 record for UConn over the next seven games.
According to KenPom.com, that would require the Huskies to win at least one contest in this stretch that they're not currently projected to win -- either at Arizona on Wednesday or against Duke a week later or against Illinois on Dec. 12 in Chicago. It's a big ask, I know. But things did get off to a nice start Friday thanks to an 84-68 win over Ohio State in which Elite Eight hero Braylon Mullins led all scorers with 22 points on a 7-of-13 shooting performance featuring five made 3-pointers.
"We're UConn," Hurley told TNT's Andy Katz after the 16-point victory. "We're UConn. We're dealing with some medical stuff -- [and] not just with Nik. But, you know, we've just got a culture and a mindset."
As David Cobb noted in a piece about Khamenia's injury, this is the fourth straight season UConn will have to navigate an extended stretch without an important newcomer. In the previous three years, they've still managed to average 31.7 wins and make two trips to the Final Four, one of which resulted in a national championship. So, as Hurley said, the Huskies have a culture and a mindset, and history suggests that culture and mindset will keep them good even in Khamenia's absence.
UConn remains No. 2 in Saturday morning's updated Top 25 And 1 daily college basketball rankings, where Florida is still No. 1 after improving to 4-0 Friday with an 83-54 win over Merrimack. Florida and UConn have combined to win three of the past four national championships. In a testament to their accomplishments, those schools' coaches were voted No. 1 (Hurley) and No. 4 (Florida's Todd Golden) in CBS Sports' latest ranking of college basketball's best coaches.
Top 25 And 1 rankings
Rk | Teams | Chg | Rcrd | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | Alex Condon finished with 16 points and six rebounds in Friday's 83-54 win over Merrimack. The Gators' next game is Tuesday against Notre Dame. | -- | 4-0 |
| 2 |  | Braylon Mullins finished with 22 points and three assists in Friday's 84-68 win over Ohio State. The Huskies' next game is Wednesday at Arizona. | -- | 4-0 |
| 3 |  | Tre White finished with 30 points and six rebounds in Tuesday's 89-69 win over Kentucky. The Jayhawks' next gameis Tuesday vs. UNLV in the Players Era in Las Vegas. | -- | 3-0 |
| 4 |  | Jeremy Fears finished with 24 points and nine assists in Friday's 106-72 win over Northern Iowa. The Spartans' next game is Tuesday against Tennessee. | -- | 4-0 |
| 5 |  | Dame Sarr finished with 12 points and four rebounds in Friday's 90-47 win over SIUE. The Blue Devils' next game is Tuesday against Illinois. | -- | 3-1 |
| 6 |  | Matas Vokietaitis finished with 26 points and nine rebounds in Monday's 93-62 win over Grambling. The Longhorns' next game is Sunday against Baylor. | -- | 3-0 |
| 7 |  | Obinna Ekezie Jr. finished with 20 points and 13 rebounds in Saturday's 107-57 win over Morehead State. The Cardinals' next game is Nov. 15 at Memphis. | -- | 2-0 |
| 8 |  | Sam Lewis finished with 28 points and seven rebounds in Friday's 87-83 win at Maryland. The Cavaliers' next game is Tuesday against Old Dominion. | -- | 5-0 |
| 9 |  | Davis Fogle finished with 22 points and six assists in Saturday's 83-62 win over New Mexico State. The Zags' next game is Saturday against LSU. | -- | 2-0 |
| 10 |  | Keyshawn Hall finished with 17 points and four assists in Wednesday's 90-59 win over Colgate. The Red Storm's next game is Sunday against Syracuse. | -- | 3-0 |
| 11 |  | Dedan Thomas Jr. finished with 17 points and seven assists in Wednesday's 92-46 win over Jacksonville State. The Cougars' next game is Tuesday against Rutgers. | -- | 3-0 |
| 12 |  | Nikola Kusturica finished with 17 points and three assists in Wednesday's 106-37 win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff. The Bruins' next game is Monday against Long Beach State. | -- | 3-0 |
| 13 |  | Cruz Davis finished with 20 points and five assists in Tuesday's 84-78 win over Illinois. The Red Raiders' next game is Saturday against Stonehill. | -- | 3-0 |
| 14 |  | Tomislav Ivisic finished with 28 points and five rebounds in Friday's 108-86 win over Sam Houston. The Illini's next game is Tuesday against Duke. | -- | 3-1 |
| 15 |  | Caleb Holt finished with 24 points and nine rebounds in Friday's 80-69 win at Auburn. The Wildcats' next game is Wednesday against UConn. | -- | 3-1 |
| 16 |  | Terrence Hill Jr. finished with 19 points and five assists in Friday's 83-78 win over Tennessee State. The Vols' next game is Tuesday against Michigan State. | -- | 3-0 |
| 17 |  | Brent Bland finished with 26 points and five rebounds in Friday's 94-52 win over North Alabama. The Hurricanes' next game is Tuesday against Rider. | -- | 3-1 |
| 18 |  | Billy Richmond III finished with 21 points and nine rebounds in Friday's 79-66 win over Central Arkansas. The Razorbacks' next game is Tuesday against Indiana. | -- | 3-1 |
| 19 |  | Amari Allen finished with 24 points and five assists in Friday's 82-76 win over Seton Hall. The Crimson Tide's next game is Tuesday against Kennesaw State. | -- | 4-0 |
| 20 |  | Elliott Cadeau finished with 17 points and 10 assists in Wednesday's 84-70 win over Marquette. The Wolverines' next game is Sunday against William & Mary. | -- | 2-1 |
| 21 |  | Alijah Arenas finished with 19 points and seven rebounds in Wednesday's 77-65 win over Cal. The Trojans' next game is Sunday against Arkansas Pine-Bluff. | -- | 3-0 |
| 22 |  | Robert Wright III finished with 22 points and seven assists in Thursday's 86-71 win over Montana State. The Cougars' next game is Wednesday against Northern Colorado. | -- | 4-0 |
| 23 |  | Ace Glass finished with 19 points and four assists in Friday's 89-62 win over Prairie View A&M. The Commodores' next game is Tuesday against Eastern Illinois. | -- | 4-0 |
| 24 |  | Pryce Sandfort finished with 22 points and eight rebounds in Wednesday's 94-60 win over Lindenwood. The Cornhuskers' next game is Sunday against Boise State. | -- | 3-0 |
| 25 |  | Trey Green finished with 22 points and two assists in Tuesday's 125-63 win over Northern Kentucky. The Billikens' next game is Sunday against High Point. | -- | 3-0 |
| 26 |  | PJ Haggerty finished with 22 points and two assists in Thursday's 88-69 win over Oklahoma State. The Aggies' next game is Monday against Southeastern Louisiana. | NR | 4-0 |
IN: Texas A&M | OUT: North Carolina
