Connecticut to be No. 1, can they stay there?

By game time, Connecticut will be the fourth different team to be ranked number one in as many weeks and will face the challenge of Louisville, who appears now they can beat virtually any team in the country with the type of basketball they are playing now. College basketball bettors have a real tough choice to make tonight in another Big Monday bash.

Coach Jim Calhoun, a veteran of many basketball wars is trying to keep the top ranking in perspective. “You don’t want to be No. 1 for a day,” said Calhoun. “It’s just a number that goes by quickly. But if there are 343 teams playing in the country and at some point in the season, especially 21 games into the season … it’s nice. No more. No less.”

Connecticut (20-1, 10-7 ATS) is caught in scheduling buzz saw, with this being their third game is six days and what a place to be forced to play at in Louisville. Truthfully, DePaul and Providence are not among the Big East hierarchy, however playing this many contests can take physical toll. Arriving to play the Cardinals precludes the Huskies from shilly-shallying around, with the 94-feet game and the pressure Louisville can provide. UConn is 5-14 ATS in road games off a home win over the last three seasons.

This figures to be a game forward Jeff Adrien has to come up big to match the brilliant play of Louisville’s Terrence Williams, who has been the best player on the floor in nearly each conference contest. Like the Cardinals, Connecticut can control the glass and coach Calhoun’s club is 22-8 ATS versus teams who average 40 or more rebounds a game past the midpoint of the season.

Louisville (17-3, 12-8 ATS) has the same scheduling situation as UConn, with the benefit of playing them all at home. Coach Rick Pitino’s squad is building momentum, with nine wins in a row (7-2 ATS) and unlike the Huskies, is still unbeaten in Big East play like Marquette. Starters Earl Clark and Edgar Sosa are back in the coach’s good graces, but like their teammates, are prone to be a little self-indulgent. We fall in love with ourselves too much,” said Pitino, whose team overcame a season high 26 turnovers against West Virginia in 69-63 win. “In the long run, it’s probably better we had a war down the stretch.”

Their goal in this encounter is to make this an end to end game, making center Hasheen Thabeet less important, who is coming off his third double digit effort in blocked shots. This has been go time for the ‘Ville, sporting 13-2 ATS mark in February since 2007.

Bookmaker.com is impressed enough with Louisville to install them as 2.5-point favorites with total of 136.5. The Cardinals coincidently are 16-4 ATS off three straight wins against conference rivals, while UConn is 2-13 ATS in road games after two straight blowout wins by 20 points or more.

Will the top dog Huskies stay No.1 or will they be handled in first game like the last two teams that occupied the top spot? Answers forthcoming on ESPN starting at 7 Eastern.