By Will Graves
Associated Press
LOUISVILLE, Ky. ó Connecticut reached No. 1 two months ahead of schedule.
The way the Huskies are playing, they might stay there awhile.
Jeff Adrien scored 18 points and grabbed seven rebounds as the Huskies celebrated their return to the top of the polls for the first time in three years with a 68-51 dismantling of No. 5 Louisville on Monday.
“We definitely made a statement that we’re No. 1,” Adrien said.
Hasheem Thabeet dominated the lane, scoring 14 points, 11 rebounds and four blocks as UConn (21-1, 10-1 Big East) rolled to its 10th straight victory.
Jerome Dyson added 14 points, and A.J. Price had 11 points, eight rebounds and three assists.
“They’re very truly the No. 1 team in the country,” Louisville coach Rick Pitino said. “We weren’t in their league tonight.”Terrence Williams led Louisville (17-4, 8-1) with a career-high 26 points but got little help. He shot 11-for-19 from the field, and the rest of the Cardinals went 11-for-45 (24 percent) from the floor.UConn ended Louisville’s nine-game winning streak by dictating the pace and using Thabeet’s 7-foot-3 wingspan to hold Louisville to a season-low point total.