If UConn needed an example of how quickly a basketball program can turn around a season, it can look at Sunday's opponent.

Just over a year ago, Wichita State walked out of Gampel Pavilion after a humbling 20-point loss. The Shockers fell to three games below .500 that day, including 1-6 in the American Athletic Conference..

Since then, the Shockers have gone 28-5.

Wichita State comes to the XL Center in Hartford on Sunday as the No. 23 ranked team and conference co-leader, visiting the Huskies (10-5, 1-2) for a noon game (CBS Sports Network). The Shockers are 14-1 overall and have won eight straight.

Coach Gregg Marshall has built a championship-level program with an identity based on defense, rebounding and toughness, according to UConn coach Dan Hurley,

Last year was a valuable learning experience for the Shockers.

"They were a little bit young last year and learned and grew from the non-conference and early conference season struggles," Hurley said. "Now you're seeing the fruits of their labor. But I think it's more so the fact that they've got a head coach in place and just a program in place. They're a very, very strong organization from top to bottom."

Sounds very similar to the kind of program that Hurley is trying to construct in Storrs.

Hurley is still working on establishing a firm foundation. A win over a ranked opponent would be another valuable building block.

The Huskies are 1-1 versus top 25 competition this season, but 4-25 dating back to the start of the 2014-15 season.

Sunday's game begins a brutal three-game stretch for the Huskies, who also visit No. 16 Villanova on Saturday and travel to Houston on Jan. 23.

Three chances for them to make a statement, starting with the Shockers, who rely on depth and balanced scoring. Wichita State is coming off a 76-67 win over No. 21 Memphis.

Hurley called the Shockers the hardest team to prepare for so far this season.

"Obviously, they're a great team and a tough team, a top 25 team," redshirt junior Alterique Gilbert said. "In order for us to take that (next) step, we've just got to be together, stick to the script, play our game and play with a lot of confidence."

Gilbert practiced with the Huskies on Saturday and will play on Sunday. He's expected to return home sometime this week for his grandmother's funeral.

The odds of the Huskies pulling off an upset will increase if they play with the same energy and intensity as they did in Wednesday's bounce-back win over Tulane. Tyler Polley had his best game at UConn, finishing with a season-high 19 points and a career-best 11 rebounds. Fellow junior Josh Carlton also emerged from a prolonged funk.

"We have a good aura, a good vibe around us now," senior Christian Vital said. "It was a tough start on the road to start the conference off. But we came home and got a win and now we're just looking to build on that."

A big crowd is expected to be on hand for Sunday's game. About 12,500 tickets had been sold as of Saturday afternoon.

"It gives us a lot of confidence, having that home crowd behind us," Gilbert said.

g.keefe@theday.com