Rutgers is playing great ball. Notre Dame stayed with Connecticut for most of its last match with the Huskies. And Boston College should not be ignored, as the Eagles finished regular season conference play tied with Rutgers at 11-4. But, UConn is still my favorite for the millennium crown. Having been on great teams that have won and lost important games, I know the difference.
Talent is a luxury, but tantamount to talent is belief.
Belief in the talent you do have and in your coach's system. There is a oneness that you need when you head into postseason battle, because you never know what will be thrown at you. And it's not a oneness that you can go rent at Blockbuster or get from a late-season chalk talk from alumni who used to play for your team. The type of unity I'm talking about has to show itself on a team much earlier than the conference tournament. To be successful in the playoffs, there's a need to shift your individual play and your team's play into a higher gear.