UConn men’s basketball is in a unique spot. Programs with the Huskies’ level of prestige and success don’t play in such small conferences, and they rarely have to fight their way back to prominence. Admittedly, that makes it hard to find a relevant comparison, but here’s the closest I can find.
A mid-major team in a good recruiting area finds itself with back-to-back losing seasons for the first time in multiple decades. The program is otherwise well-regarded, and it’s still known for its string of NCAA Tournament success and an NBA superstar who took the team to an Elite Eight and a top-ten AP ranking.