UConn men’s basketball falls out of AP Top 25

For the first time this season, UConn men’s basketball is not ranked in the AP Top 25. The Huskies dropped out of the poll after Saturday’s loss at home to Providence in their Big East opener, but UConn did receive 55 votes, trailing just Oklahoma and West Virginia on the outside looking in. KenPom currently has the Huskies at No. 26 overall.

The Big East currently has four teams ranked, with Seton Hall the highest at No. 15. Xavier (No. 18), Providence (No. 22) and Villanova (No. 23) round out the conference’s poll presence, while Creighton received a pair of votes as well.

With conference play officially underway, UConn will have plenty of chances to hop back in to the top 25. The Huskies head to Milwaukee to take on a tough Marquette team Tuesday night, then takes on the No. 18 Musketeers the following week.

A win over the Golden Eagles is likely enough to crack into the poll once again, while a road win over Xavier would be a major score for UConn’s tournament resume and likely vault the Huskies into the same range in the poll they were a few weeks prior.

While the Huskies struggled offensively for significant stretches during the Providence game, the return of big man Adama Sanogo is near, and the sophomore center should help ease at least some of the team’s scoring woes. Throw in Sanogo’s return with Tyrese Martin already back from a left wrist injury, and the Huskies are heading in the right direction after surviving without the two starters for the final weeks of non-conference play.