Why UConn Will Repeat As National Champions

Last season, UConn was the best team in the nation. This year, they'll do it again.

Two years ago, UConn's Era of Prosperity looked like it was wrapping up.

Just a year before, greatness had touched the program in the form of a six-overtime loss at the hands of Syracuse in the Big East Tournament and a run to the Final Four sparked by their undisciplined young rookie, Kemba Walker.

The Huskies were hit hard by the departure of seniors Jeff Adrien, Craig Austrie, A.J. Price and Hasheem Thabeet's decision to enter the NBA after his junior year. The 2009-2010 team struggled mightily with consistency. Led by the enigmatic Stanley Robinson and Jerome Dyson, who could play like Patrick Ewing one night and Patrick Ewing, Jr. another, the Huskies fell off the map. Jim Calhoun was forced to take a month-long medical leave for a "serious" undisclosed issue in January, only to return to a brutally ineffective team.

UConn Nabs Andre Drummond, Criticism Ensues

Andre Drummond is wildly talented, but the road ahead is filled with potholes.

On Friday, a single tweet launched defending national champion UConn Huskies men's basketball back into the upper echelon of preseason hype.

"It's official I'm heading to the university of connecticut to be a husky this year! Do I hear #repeat #huskyfam"

The verbal commitment of Andre Drummond, ESPNU's second-ranked recruit in the country, comes as a surprise to nearly everyone. The addition of the highly-touted, 6-foot-10 center will make for a scary-good UConn team with realistic expectations to repeat as champions in 2012.