HARTFORD, Conn. - This isn't the same UConn team as last season or even as earlier this year.

In fact, this Huskies team may be more dangerous without Jerome Dyson and Doug Wiggins. At least for now.

Neither UConn or Louisville came into the game ranked.

The Huskies left the Hartford Civic Center with their second consecutive victory without Dyson and Wiggins - who are both suspended indefinitely.  

"Sometimes a wounded tiger is much more dangerous," Louisville coach Rick Pitino said. "Where it hurts you is usually over the span of time."

Jeff Adrien no longer has to carry the Huskies.

He's finally got help from the likes of A.J. Price, Stanley Robinson and Hasheem Thabeet.

Price has turned himself into the player everyone thought he'd be - prior to the two years off due to medical and off-the-court issues.

Robinson has begun to assert himself. The talented Alabama native finished with a double-double (16 points, 10 rebounds).

Even though Thabeet got into foul trouble and pulled down just two rebounds, he was a major factor. He finished around the basket, blocked three shots and is playing with more confidence than he has since he arrived in Storrs.

CARDINALS MISSING SHOOTER

If Pitino had one knock-down shooter, it would be a different story.

Louisville took 60 shots from the field and 33 were from beyond the arc. The Cardinals made just 5-of-20 prior to the break - and most of them were quality looks.

"You have to make 3's against UConn," Pitino said. "They give you a lot of 3's because of their shot-blocking ability."

"Some of my old teams would have picked it apart," Pitino said. "If you can't make the 3-point shot in college, you're in trouble."

The good news for Pitino was that sophomore guard Edgar Sosa, who has struggled much of the season, gave the Cardinals quality minutes. He scored seven points and had four assists in 24 minutes.

"He played like he finally understands how to play the game tonight," Pitino said.

DAVIDSON CRUISING IN SOCON

Davidson coach Bob McKillop wouldn't have done it any differently.

The Wildcats coach opted to go with a brutal non-conference schedule that included games against North Carolina, Duke, UCLA, N.C. State and Charlotte.

Davidson came away from that stretch with five losses.

"We wanted to get exposure for the program and wanted to get better," McKillop said. "And we felt it was productive."

Some coaches would have been concerned with the psyche of his players after a stretch in which they came up empty. However, McKillop said that nearly all of his players have won their fair share of games, so he wasn't quite as worried.

McKillop's team has won nine straight games since the loss at N.C. State and he points to the improvement in production in the post as a key reason for the team's 11-0 start in conference play.

McKillop is also well aware that it's extremely unlikely his team will get to the NCAA tournament unless they win the Southern Conference tourney.

"I have a sense the Southern Conference will be a one-bid league," he said. "When you put yourself in a position to play good teams and you win those games, then you can start talking about multi-bids."

RANDOM NOTES: A late transfer is UTEP freshman forward Manual Cass. The 6-foot-6 small forward is from Chicago and attended South Kent (Conn.) before committing to the Miners. ... Kent State suspended Chris Singletary for violating team rules. ... San Francisco's Eddie Sutton lost in his latest bid for his 800th career win in a 66-48 setback at home to Santa Clara. ... Arkansas coach John Pelphrey suspended starting forward Charles Thomas (violation of team rules) for tomorrow night's game against Mississippi State.