UConn returns to my AP Top 25 ballot after a pair of road wins over Texas and Tulane. Is Texas that good without Cam Ridley? Probably not. Was squandering a 19-point lead early in the second half a positive thing for the Huskies. Not at all. But UConn won two road games, improved to 10-3, and now boast impressive wins over improving Michigan and Ohio State teams, to go with the road win at Texas.

Along with the Huskies, I've added Iowa, West Virginia and Dayton and booted out Utah, Baylor, Texas and Monmouth. I'll probably vote for Louisville and Pitt when they finally beat somebody.

1. Kansas
2. Maryland
3. Oklahoma
4. Virginia
5. North Carolina
6. Michigan State
7. Kentucky
8. Providence
9. Arizona
10. Duke
11. Villanova
12. Xavier
13. SMU
14. Iowa
15. Purdue
16. Iowa State
17. Miami
18. Texas A&M
19. Butler
20. South Carolina
21. West Virginia
22. Gonzaga
23. UConn
24. Dayton
25. George Washington

Granted, Texas was without its double-double averaging big man, Cam Ridley. And the Longhorns may not have been a particularly great team even with him.

But make no mistake: UConn's 71-66 at the Erwin Center Tuesday night qualifies as a very big win. Texas, 8-4, and getting a few Top 25 votes (including mine) the past couple of weeks, is a Big 12 team that should be competitive in the nation's best conference. That alone should guarantee the Longhorns finish the season with a good RPI.

Couple the fact that its a road win (and don't forget, UConn is without Amida Brimah, as well), and this is a real nice one for the Huskies. A true resume-builder.

UConn also has found its true go-to guy -- on and off the floor -- in Rodney Purvis. Daniel Hamilton may be the team's best all-around player, but Purvis is the Huskies' best scorer, and is a leader off the floor, as well.

Now, about those free throws ... that is an issue that Purvis will have to resolve. Otherwise, he's been consistently strong, and clutch, all season.

Finally, here's a piece on Terry Larrier, who has to sit out this season as a transfer but, unlike Purvis, can travel with the team.

Shaka Smart met with the media on Monday afternoon in advance of Tuesday's but with UConn. The Longhorns will be without 6-10, 290-pound center Cameron Ridley, who broke his left foot in practice on Sunday and is out indefinitely. Ridley was averaging 12.7 points and 10 rebounds per game.

Smart:

“He’ll bounce back. This certainly is not the end of his career, it’s just one of those things where it’s an unfortunate injury, unfortunate timing. As a team, we’re just gonna have to rally around him and everyone step up.”

Does this mean Texas will play more of the "havoc" style that Smart mastered at VCU the prior six seasons?

“As I’ve been saying since I got here, havoc is a mindset. It’s a way you think about yourself when you get out of bed. Then, the style of play comes from there. Does it mean we can extend the floor a little more? Does it mean our perimeter guys are gonna be even more involved in everything we’re doing? Yes. Does it mean, on offense, it makes more sense for us to get out and score in transition? Yes. But the mindset part, it’s something that just takes time to learn.”

Both teams will be without their starting centers, with Amida Brimah also out injured.



“Their best lineup, even when he was healthy, was to have four guys that are perimeter-type players in the game, with Daniel Hamilton being the biggest of those. But he’s such a dynamic, triple-threat guy -- he can shoot, drive or pass the ball so well -- that’s their best offensive team. In a way, it makes them harder to guard. Brimah, with what he did on the defensive end, not having him in there affects them defensively, much like not having Cam affects us on defense. Both teams, what we have to do is focus on ways on the offensive end where we can be most effective, and defensively, if you don’t have that big shot-blocker, you have to do a better job with your individual defense.”

Smart was asked if 6-11 Prince Ibeh would start in Ridley's place, and he said he wasn't sure, but seemed to indicate that was likely.

Smart also talked about Terry Larrier, whom he recruited to play for him at VCU last season before Smart took the Texas job and Larrier transferred to UConn.

“Great kid, very, very intelligent ... sometimes too smart for his own good. And I think he’s in a great program. When you leave a place, the hardest thing is leaving a guy like that, because I think that he was really making terrific progress. He came in as a guy with high expectations, came in, like most freshmen, he was taken aback a little bit by some of the challenges you get hit with as a freshman. But he’s through that, and I think that’s the exciting thing for Coach Ollie and his program. He’s got a freshman year under his belt where he’s had a lot of success. Now, he’s learning a new system, a new program. But he has a confidence level, because he’s had some success.”

Smart said he got a chance to speak with Larrier at the Battle 4 Atlantis in the Bahamas last month.

“We’ve talked some since the spring. We stay in contact from time to time. It’s always kind of a fine line, because you don’t want to be bothering other people’s players. But as a person, you care about a guy, you worked with him for a year, you spent a couple of years recruiting him. I just gave him a hug, told him I’m proud of him, I love him, and I want to see him keep doing well. He looked good, he continues to get stronger, physically. I’m happy for him.”

Here's what Ollie had to say about Larrier in the Bahamas:



It was pointed out to Smart that he and Ollie have been after many of the same players on the recruiting trail in recent years (Larrier, current Longhorn Tevin Mack, recent UConn commit Alterique Gilbert)

“I think it speaks more to those players. They’re really good players that are sought-after. And UConn’s recruiting at a high level, those guys have done a great job. We tried to recruit Alterique Gilbert, who they signed. They did a great job recruiting him and developing a relationship. That one wasn’t even close. They beat everyone by a mile.”

“Both programs want to bring in high-level guys that are also the type of kids that we want to coach -- good kids, want to get better, want to learn, want to be part of something bigger than themselves. I know that’s something that Kevin values and it’s something that I value.”