STORRS - A certain buzz, a brighter spotlight, comes with all these victories and ascension to the top of the national rankings. No.1 UConn is all over TV and the Internet, being analyzed, being hyped, carrying into every game another opportunity to prove a point and keep things rolling.
This is nothing new for the program, of course. The Huskies have won two national championships, 10 Big East regular season titles and six conference tournaments.
"We've kind of been here before," Jeff Adrien said. "When we were losing, it was like, 'What's wrong with UConn?'"
The Huskies (21-1) carry a 10-game winning streak into today's nonconference game against Michigan (15-8) at Gampel Pavilion. Coming off Monday's 17-point rout of No.5 Louisville at Freedom Hall, there is as much excitement at Gampel Pavilion as there has been in a few years. Getting an early start on seating for today's 6 p.m. game, students pitched tents outside the arena Friday afternoon.
Inside, the mood is calm, which doesn't mean the Huskies are complacent. Coach Jim Calhoun has shown patience and confidence in a veteran group of players who believe the best is yet to come.
"When you've won 21 out of 22 games, you should develop some belief, and we've been all over the place to do that, beaten all kinds of good teams in a lot of ways," Calhoun said. "So, yeah, I do have a lot more trust and faith in a lot of these guys, who are the same guys from last year. ... They've created situations in a positive sense. They've put themselves in a position where every game does involve some kind of pressure — not being No.1, but continuing to win."
Players aren't shocked by their accomplishments. They want to continue building toward something grand come early April. Still, it's nicer to be recognized for recent momentum than for, say, the shortcomings of 2006-07.
"I think we opened some eyes after [the Louisville] game," A.J. Price said. "We showed the country how good we can be. ... It was just another game for us that we felt we could win. But I guess the more we keep putting them together like that, the more of a statement we'll be making. Fans are starting to get excited."
Michigan got off to a terrific start this season, beating Duke and UCLA, but has fallen off of late. The Wolverine had lost five of six before a 71-51 victory Thursday over Penn State.
Coach John Beilein, his team immersed in the Big Ten season, said he hadn't seen much of UConn. But as West Virginia's coach in 2002-07, he's familiar.
"They are usually so athletic and they play great pressure defense and you have to be really sharp to even be able to throw a pass against them," Beilein said. "They always have great talent, and they always rebound the ball very well. I can't believe Jeff Adrien is still there. It seems like he's been there forever."
Michigan has taken on the classic Beilein style: spread the floor; four, sometimes five, players on the perimeter; back-cuts; three-pointers; work the shot clock.
"The greatest concern I think I have is them making a lot of threes, and the pace of the game becomes critical," Calhoun said. "It's an entirely different kind of basketball [in the Big Ten]. We have to understand that at particular points in time we'll have to grind the game down. We'll try to fastbreak, try to put some pressure on them in the backcourt."
The Huskies overwhelmed Wisconsin in their only other game against a Big Ten team this season, winning 76-57 in the Paradise Jam championship game. That was among the first of many statements they have made.
"We're capable of doing a lot more, too," Adrien said. "That's what's kind of scary."
