The ACC and Big East feature clear favorites, but competition is tighter in the Big Ten, Big 12 and SEC.
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Favorite:
In terms of depth, the Big East is the worst of the five high-major conferences this season, but UConn is a clear-cut national title contender and the heavy favorite to win the regular-season title. If anything, BPI's 88.1% projection is arguably a low estimate.
The Huskies have just one loss on the season: back in mid-November against Arizona, when
Tarris Reed Jr. and
Braylon Mullins were both sidelined with injuries. Prior to Wednesday's overtime win over Providence, UConn had barely been tested in conference play, winning its first four games by an average of 19.0 points. The Huskies are an elite defensive unit, ranking fifth nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency and in the top 10 for both 2-point defense and 3-point defense.
In Mullins,
Solo Ball and
Alex Karaban, Dan Hurley has three high-level shotmakers, and Reed is a double-double machine and the anchor down low.