UConn is Back Baby

This should be UConn's big payoff year. It's hard to believe such a powerhouse missed the NCAA Tournament in 2007 and was stunned by 13th-seeded San Diego in last season's first round. But veterans of those teams -- and there are many, including Hasheem Thabeet, A.J. Price, Jerome Dyson and Jeff Adrien -- are hungry to bring home college hoops' biggest prize. They are capable of doing just that. As we speak they are laying an emphatic ass kicking to Chattanooga right now and look like they are out for blood.

This season was an all-around effort led by coach Jim Calhoun's favorite subject, defense. But you have to start somewhere when talking about the Huskies, and that place is up front. Sticking with the big men, they don't come any better, at least defensively, than Thabeet. The 7'3" center was the national defensive player of the year last season as a sophomore, and he's good for about four blocks a game. His impact reaches far beyond the stats, though. Game plans change and dribblers hesitate just because he's parked in the lane. That's the main reason why Huskies' foes shoot around 38 percent.

Adrien, a 6'7", 243-pound, senior, is a double-double machine from the power forward spot. Calhoun's description of Adrien: The Rock. The playing time of 6'9" forward Stanley Robinson can vary greatly depending on the matchups. One of UConn's strengths is its size, but it can also comfortably go smaller.

Speaking of which, it took half the season, but point guard A.J. Price finally seemed to get over the mental hurdles of offseason ACL surgery. He returned to full-attack mode, looking like the guy who averaged 14.5 points and 5.8 assists last season. The Huskies have a wealth of ball-handlers, too, including Dyson (a potentially explosive scorer), Craig Austrie and Kemba Walker.

UConn gets it done by committee, which makes you wonder: Is there a true go-to scorer? That's a key question for the Big Dance. But with defense and ever-present toughness, they are built to go far this year. And if they can continue rolling like they are today, they may be the early favorite to go all the way.