"UConn is the best team in the country": CBB analysts unanimously pick the Huskies to win Sweet 16 matchup vs SD State

CBS analysts unanimously picked the UConn Huskies to emerge victorious in their Sweet 16 matchup against San Diego State on Thursday.

When asked about his pick in the pregame show, Auburn coach Bruce Pearl boldly replied the Huskies as his choice to win the showdown and move on to the Elite Eight.

"I think UConn is the best in the country," said Pearl.

Other analysts - former Villanova coach Jay Wright, WNBA star Candace Parker and Seth Davis, agreed with Pearl's choice. Parker further explained her pick by taking note of Wright's breakdown of Huskies center Donovan Clingan as one of the most dominant centers in the league.

Pearl also chimed in on Clingan attracting mismatches in this game, saying that he could be San Diego State's problem during the game. Unless the Aztecs, led by its main offensive weapon, JaeDon LeDee would hit some threes to stretch the floor.

"They will have a problem with Clingan. Can LeDee step out and hit some threes," Pearl asked.

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UConn Huskies dominated the first two rounds of March Madness

Newton and Castle have provided a 1-2 punch in the guard position for UConn this season.

The Huskies may have started to peak at the right time as they aim for back-to-back NCAA Tournament titles.

They have dominated Stetson in the first round, 91-52. Five players scored in double figures for the Dan Hurley-coached squad with the 7-foot-2 Clingan leading the charge with 19 points on 9-of-11 shooting. He also had eight rebounds and four assists in 20 minutes.

Cam Spencer, Stephon Castle, Tristen Newton and Alex Karaban combined for 54 points to support Clingan as they piled up the points early to bury Stetson en route to victory.

In the second round against Northwestern, UConn maximized Newton's playmaking skills as he finished with a double-double of 20 points and 10 assists

But the big man was again the star of the match, as he came two blocks shy of a triple-double. Clingan tallied 14 points, 14 rebounds and eight blocks in 27 minutes.

Spencer finished with 11 points while Karaban and Castle added seven in the 75-58 win over Northwestern.

All signs are pointing to the Huskies dominating the remaining rounds of the 2024 NCAA Tournament and capturing that rare back-to-back. However, they will still need four more victories to secure a date with history.