Life doesn't come with many certainties. One of the exceptions is an excellent UConn basketball team, no matter the season and regardless of personnel changes. 

The 2022-'23 campaign promises more of the same for Geno Auriemma's powerhouse program, the overwhelming favorite to win another BIG EAST Conference championship. 

But while UConn is tabbed atop the BIG EAST, the Huskies head into the new season ranked No. 6 in the preseason national poll. 

Six? In Selection Monday parlance, that would leave the perennial national championship contenders as a No. 2 seed. There was a time not long ago when such a prediction would be unthinkable. 

Credit the resurgence of longtime national UConn rivals Stanford and Tennessee, and the growth of new powerhouses like South Carolina and Iowa. The uncharacteristically low preseason ranking is also a reflection of the nationwide respect for Huskies standout Paige Bueckers. 

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A torn ACL sustained in the summer leaves Paige Buckets unable to contribute — on the floor, anyway. Bueckers will be on the sideline in a coaching capacity, providing unique perspective for a team that still has the firepower necessary to make a Final Four run. 

2021 Review 

Despite winning 30 games, claiming the BIG EAST championship and reaching the National Championship Game, the 2021-'22 season was not vintage dominant UConn. The Huskies dropped six games, including a confounding 57-44 decision to Georgia Tech and a lopsided loss to South Carolina in the Battle 4 Atlantis, foreshadowing the rematch in April at the Final Four. 

UConn also showed rare conference vulnerability when it dropped a BIG EAST game to Villanova "at home" (Hartford, to be more specific). Although the Huskies otherwise rolled in the league, the 72-69 loss reflected the rising tide UConn's provided the other ships in the BIG EAST. 

The ultra-talented Bueckers was limited to 17 games a season ago, but led the team in scoring when available. With Christyn Williams, Olivia Nelson-Ododa and Evina Westbrook also gone from the lineup, the Huskies must replace more than 56 points of production from a season. 

Some new faces in prominent roles may not be a bad thing for UConn, however — it rarely has been an issue in Auriemma's illustrious career. 

Key Returner

Azzi Fudd, G, So. - Arlington, Va. 

Azzi Fudd is the lone returner from a season ago to have averaged in double-figures with 12.1 per game, albeit in 25 appearances. But Auriemma told reporters that Fudd is healthy heading into 2022-'23, and she may be poised to emerge as the latest in a long line of UConn stars. 

"Based on one week of practice, Azzi’s as good as anybody we’ve had at this point in every area of the game,” he said via TheUConnBlog. “She’s just so much better than last year at this time."

Azzi is an excellent 3-point shooter, last season connecting on 43 percent of her 135 attempts from beyond the arc. Look for her to give the Huskies a dynamic combo-guard presence, as she functions as both a primary scorer and the leading ball distributor at point guard. 

Key Addition

"Ice" Brady, F, Fr. - San Diego 

A top 5-ranked prep prospect in the 2022 signing class and All-American from a a variety of organizations, Isuneh "Ice" Brady brings all the pieces to become the next in the long line of standout UConn post players. And, indeed, one need not go out on a limb to see similarities to Tina Charles in Brady's game. 

Brady's standout play over the summer for the FIBA U18 Americas Championship provides the freshman from California a launching pad for her debut collegiate season. 

Games to Watch

Nov. 20 vs. NC State

Highlighting just a handful of UConn games to watch is a difficult task. The Huskies' 2022-'23 schedule is grueling, pitting the team opposite just about every preseason contender aiming for a Final Four run. To wit, UConn plays Texas before the Nov. 20 Elite Eight rematch with NC State. 

No word on if Auriemma tried to get the WNBA champion Las Vegas Aces on the docket. 

The NCSU bunch UConn hosts early in the season isn't the same lineup from last year's NCAA Tournament, but plenty of the faces will be familiar to the Huskies. That includes Saniya Rivers, one of the top recruits in the nation in 2021 and a transfer into NC State from South Carolina. 

Jan. 29 vs. Villanova

Looking ahead to BIG EAST play, Maddy Siegrist and Villanova figures to be one of, if not the top challenger to UConn's supremacy. The Wildcats used last year's matchup in Hartford as a springboard to March Madness. 

Villanova has the roster to make a Sweet 16 (or beyond) push behind the BIG EAST Player of the Year Siegrist.