UConn and the Top 10 Teams That Will Struggle As Conference Play Opens

The UConn Huskies came into this season with modest expectations. The team was unranked in preseason NCAA polls and facing a tough task in the Big East which is perennially one of the strongest conferences in college basketball.

Led by junior guard Kemba Walker, the Huskies got off to a 10-0 start which included back to back wins over then No. 2 Michigan State and No. 9 Kentucky.

UConn would lose their first game of the season in the Big East opener to No. 6 Pitt, and would was taken to the limit in an overtime win in against South Florida.

The Huskies lost another game against Notre Dame on Jan. 4, dropping their record against ranked Big East opponents to 0-2. Their conference schedule won't get any easier, as nearly half of their remaining games will be against ranked opponents.

The Huskies aren't alone in their struggles, as a number of top teams face a tough road ahead as the NCAA tournament approaches.

10. Georgetown

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NEW YORK - MARCH 13: Austin Freeman #15, Greg Monroe #10 and Jerrelle Benimon #20 of the Georgetown Hoyas walk to the bench after a play against the West Virginia Mountaineers during the championship of the 2010 NCAA Big East Tournament at Madison Square

After an 11-1 start to the season, the Hoyas have managed to dig themselves into a quick hole in the Big East standings.

Many thought Georgetown would be a potential force in the Big East after the team started off 8-0 and beat a very strong team in No. 8 Missouri.

The Hoyas have dropped three of their first four games in the conference however, and find themselves with eight games remaining against top 25 teams.

With so much talent in the Big East, the Hoyas will need to improve on rebounding as a team and minimize turnovers if they wish to gain ground in the conference.

9. Purdue

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WEST LAFAYETTE, IN - DECEMBER 21: JaJuan Johnson #25 of the Purdue Boilermakers dunks the ball during the game against the IPFW Mastodons at Mackey Arena on December 21, 2010 in West Lafayette, Indiana. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

Prior to the beginning of the season the Purdue Boilermakers were ranked No. 8 in the ESPN/USA Today preseason top 25 rankings. Hopes were high for the team, especially with the return of star forward Robbie Hummell.

It didn't take long to see that Boilermakers would face an uphill battle if they hoped to maintain their stature in the national rankings.

Just hours after the Midnight Madness kickoff that started the 2010-2011 season, Hummell went down with his second ACL injury and was once again lost for the season.

The Boilermakers have started off strong and are currently ranked tenth in the country, but injuries to guard John Hart and forward Sandi Marcius could prove costly as the Boilermakers get into a tough Big Ten schedule.

8. Louisville

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LOUISVILLE, KY - JANUARY 05: Terrence Jennings #23 of the Louisville Cardinals dribbles the ball while defended by Herb Pope #15 of the Seton Hall Pirates during the Big East Conference game at the KFC Yum! Center on January 5, 2011 in Louisville, Kentuck

The Louisville Cardinals made a quick statement in starting the season this past fall. Head coach Rick Pitino and his team hosted the Butler Bulldogs, last year's NCAA tournament Cinderella.

The Cardinals would show that they were not a team to be overlooked in the Big East, beating the No. 18 Bulldogs 88-73.

Much like many other squads in the Big East, Louisville finds themselves in the middle of a talent packed log jam in the Big East.

The Cardinals will face top 25 teams in seven of their last 11 contests, including a stretch of four games in February.

Another question mark for Louisville is their durability. Forward Rakeem Buckles is currently out with a broken finger and guard Mike Marra has just returned from an ankle injury but has yet to return to form.

7. Vanderbilt

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COLUMBIA, MO - DECEMBER 08: Brad Tinsley #1 of the Vanderbilt Commodores shoots as Michael Dixon #11 of the Missouri Tigers defends during the game on December 8, 2010 at Mizzou Arena in Columbia, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

The Vanderbilt Commodores got off to a great start this season, winning 11 of their first 13 games before heading into SEC conference play.

Led by center Festus Ezeli, the Commodores were able to knock off then No. 8 ranked North Carolina in the Puerto Rico Tip Off Tournament.

Things wouldn't go so well for the team as conference play started, as the Commodores lost an overtime battle against South Carolina this past Saturday.

Vanderbilt's road won't get any easier down the road, as the team still has a total of four games remaining against the underrated Tennessee Volunteers and Georgia Bulldogs, as well as two against the No. 11 Kentucky Wildcats.

6. Baylor

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NEW ORLEANS - MARCH 20: LaceDarius Dunn #24 of the Baylor Bears reacts after a three point shot late in the game against Old Dominion University Monarchs during the second round of the 2010 NCAA men's basketball tournament at the New Orleans Arena on Mar

Led by senior guard LaceDarius Dunn, the Baylor Bears managed to make it through the non conference portion of their schedule virtually unscathed.

Only close losses to Gonzaga, Washington State and Arizona State have stood in the way of Baylor and a perfect record.

It's unlikely the Bears will have the same luck as the season continues. The team will play seven games against top 25 teams from the Big 12, including a January 17 matchup against No. 3 Kansas.

Baylor may have had early season success against mid-Major talent, but it will take strong performances from their entire roster if they're going to maintain their standing in the conference.

5. Illinois

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ST. LOUIS, MO - DECEMBER 22: Demetri McCamey #32 of the Illinois Fighting Illini drives to the basket against Michael Dixon #11 of the Missouri Tigers during the Busch Braggin' Rights game at the Scottrade Center on December 22, 2010 in St. Louis, Missour

The University of Illinois Fighting Illini have had their share of successes in the Big Ten in past seasons. This season was a little harder to gauge for the team.

The Illini have a good amount of depth with five upper classmen on the team, but a strong non-conference schedule left many opportunities for the Illini to fall behind their Big Ten counterparts.

Illinois was impressive however, winning non-conference games against Maryland, North Carolina and Gonzaga.

The team has also won games against Iowa, Wisconsin and Northwestern to start conference play.

The road will certainly get tougher for the Illini as the Big Ten season progresses. The team will play two games each against No. 2 Ohio State, No. 10 Purdue and No. 19 Michigan state before closing out the season.

4. Minnesota

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PHILADELPHIA, PA - DECEMBER 08: Trevor Mbakwe #32 of the Minnesota Golden Gophers defends against Ronald Roberts Jr. #13 of the St. Joseph's Hawks at Michael J. Hagan Arena on December 8, 2010 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Chris Chambers/Gett

The Minnesota Golden Gophers have been slowly rebuilding their basketball program under head coach Tubby Smith. The Gophers made an NCAA tournament appearance last season, albeit in a losing effort during a first round loss to Xavier.

This season the Gophers had reason to believe that things would be different. The team had guard Al Nolen back (Nolen was academically ineligible for the second half of last season) and was expected to end up in the top half of the Big Ten conference.

A hot start by the Gophers included wins over UNC and West Virginia, and got the team a top 15 ranking in the ESPN/USA Today poll.

The Gophers were quickly brought back to earth however, losing three of their first four games in conference play.

Without the services of guard Devoe Joseph who left the team last week, the team will struggle to contend as they continue their conference season.

3. Cincinnati

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NEW YORK - MARCH 11: Darnell Wilks #15 of the Cincinnati Bearcats goes for a loose ball against the West Virginia Mountaineers during the quarterfinal of the 2010 NCAA Big East Tournament at Madison Square Garden on March 11, 2010 in New York City. (Phot

You certainly wouldn't forgive the Cincinnati Bearcats for feeling overlooked so far this season in the Big East.

Being a part of the most talented conference in the country means that the team will need to capitalize on marquee Big East matchups if they plan on being taken seriously.

The Bearcats beat far weaker opponents for the first part of the season on their way to a 15-0 start. Still, the team will be an underdog for much of the Big East portion of their season.

After a loss to No. 7 Villanova to open the Big East conference season, the team understood for the first time what it felt like to be on the losing end.

The remainder of the Bearcats schedule features seven top 25 opponents, and virtually every team they play will be of a higher caliber than any team they played during their first 15 games.

2. Iowa State

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LAWRENCE, KS - FEBRUARY 18: Head Coach Greg McDermott of the Iowa State Cyclones speaks to Bryan Petersen #22 as teammate Diante Garrett #10 of the Iowa State Cyclones looks on during the game against the Kansas Jayhawks on February 18, 2009 at Phog Alle

Bolstered by a 13-2 start, the Iowa State Cyclones' confidence was peaking. Quality wins over Iowa, Virginia and Creighton gave the team a great deal of confidence heading into Big 12 conference play.

After a one point loss to Nebraska, the Cyclones are looking for answers. The play of senior Guard Diante Garrett has given fans much to be hopeful for, but the Big 12 schedule could still prove to be too much to overcome.

The team will face off against No. 3 Kansas on Wednesday in the first of two matchups against the Jayhwaks this season.

The Cyclones will also face No. 8 Missouri and No. 17 Kansas State each twice as they try to build on their strong early season successes.

1. St. Johns

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NEW YORK, NY - DECEMBER 20: Paris Horne #23 of the St. John's Red Storm looks on against the Davidson Wildcats during the Madison Square Garden Holiday Festival at Madison Square Garden on December 20, 2010 in New York City. (Photo by Chris Chambers/Get

Thanks in part to a weak early season schedule the St. Johns Red Storm found themselves with an 9-3 record heading into play this past week.

The Red Storm would prove that it wasn't solely weak opponents giving the team wins, as the team beat No. 13 Georgetown to improve their record to 10-3.

The Red Storm would however drop their next contest to No. 15 Notre Dame, indicating that the level of talent in the Big East might prove to be too much for the team to handle.

St. Johns will play their next six games against top 25 teams, and will play four more games against ranked opponents before the end of the conference season.