“UConn ain’t what it was in Stewie’s day”: Hoops analyst reminisces Breanna Stewart’s UConn, writes off Paige Bueckers & co. as NCAA contenders

Paige Bueckers and the No. 5 UConn Huskies lost in an 80-76 upset on the road to the No. 19 Tennessee Volunteers. Their defeat drew criticism from a basketball analyst, who questioned whether they should still be considered title contenders, saying he doesn't see the same dominant program that existed during Breanna Stewart's time.

On Thursday's episode of "The Robin Lundberg Show," Lundberg broke down the Huskies' loss to the Lady Vols — their first in 18 years against Tennessee. He said he doesn’t see the same squad that won during Stewart’s collegiate career.

"UConn certainly ain't what it was in Stewie's day," he said (1:26 mark). "And when you look around and see the teams, I mean, they were thoroughly outplayed in that first half in the game against USC, they were completely outplayed by Notre Dame."

Stewart won four NCAA championships in four years with the Huskies from 2013 to 2016. She finished second on UConn's all-time scoring list with 2,676 career points.

"Now we got to stop sleeping on UCLA to that degree. But you know even when Geno talked about the team, I haven't sensed that confidence that he actually believes, and remember, we're talking about this national championship for Paige Bueckers and is she gonna get it. It ain't looking likely."

What's next for Paige Bueckers, UConn

Paige Bueckers had a night to forget, as Tennessee limited her production and prevented the No. 5 Huskies from securing the win. She was held to 14 points and eight assists on 5-for-16 shooting.

The loss dropped UConn to 21-3 on the season, though the Tennessee matchup was only a nonconference game. Otherwise, the Huskies have been strong throughout the campaign, averaging 80.9 points per game on 51% shooting overall and 37.5% from beyond the arc, outscoring opponents by an average margin of 27.8 points.

Bueckers leads the team with 18.7 points, 4.4 assists, 4.2 rebounds and 1.9 steals per game. Sarah Strong follows with 17.1 ppg and 7.8 rpg, while Azzi Fudd contributes 11.2 ppg and 2.0 rpg.

Paige Bueckers and the No. 5 Huskies will look to bounce back when they face the Providence Friars on Feb. 9 at noon ET.