STORRS, Conn. – Connecticut goes into Monday's second-round NCAA tournament game with Vanderbilt as a prohibitive favorite, especially after beating first-round opponent Idaho by 68 points.
But the Commodores are used to playing basketball's elite. They face a Southeastern Conference schedule that includes regular meetings with teams such as Tennessee, Texas A&M, Georgia and Kentucky.
Coach Melanie Balcomb says the biggest challenge in facing an elite opponent is mental, and she hopes playing that schedule means there won't be any wide eyes at Gampel Pavilion on Monday night against the Huskies.
Connecticut, which is a top seed for the seventh straight season, has a 20-2 record in second-round games and has advanced to the regional semifinals every year since 1993.
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