UConn Ranks Behind Only This Team According To Prominent Analyst

Are the Huskies truly the No. 2 team in the nation heading into the season?

Jamie Schwaberow / NCAA Photos via Getty Images

Why aren’t the UConn Huskies considered the best team in the country heading into this season?

That’s a question that head coach Dan Hurley has posed more than once to reporters this fall.

Perhaps Hurley can ask beloved college hoops analyst John Fanta of FOX Sports why the Huskies aren’t preseason top dogs. Fanta recently came out with his personal preseason top-10 list and had UConn in the No. 2 spot.

“At No. 2, UConn for me, because the reigning national champions have Hassan Diarra, who's ready to be the one who steers the ship at point,” Fanta said. 

“Alex Karaban could be a first team All-American this season. I think Liam McNeeley is poised to be one of the best freshmen in the country. Dan Hurley? He's not going anywhere.”

Fanta’s comment about Diarra is interesting in light of recent speculation that Diarra could be challenged for minutes by some of UConn’s younger guards.

But wait a minute, who did Fanta rank ahead of UConn as his preseason No. 1?

That would be none other than Kansas, a program that handed the Huskies one of their three losses last season.

“At No. 1, Kansas,” Fanta said.

“Why? Because when you blend the returning players and you look at the transfer portal class – which I think is the best portal class in America – Bill Self cleaned up in the offseason.”

“He wants redemption after falling short of a Final Four last season with a group that on paper heading into the year looked like they had that kind of talent.”

More NCAA: UConn's Bench Scoring Reveals Dan Hurley's Absurd Depth, Even Stronger Culture