I think you are making the point a bit too strongly in this

case. Yes, UConn has a very easy conference schedule, but last season they scheduled a pretty decent second half of the season because they inserted two OOC games in the middle of their conference schedule. Those two games (South Carolina on 2/6) and (Louisville on 2/12) and their three games against South Florida (1/6, 2/26 and AAC tournament final on 3/6) made for a very good pre-NCAA warm-up.

Those games, coupled with their tough pre-conference OOC, made their schedule VERY formidable, nearly as hard as Notre Dame's overall pre-NCAA schedule. Sure ND's pre-NCAA tournament schedule had a higher RPI, but UConn played the same number of top 10 teams (5 each) and almost as many top 25 teams (11 for UConn vs. 12 for ND) but their schedule was ranked a bit lower because of the sad cupcakes that inhabit their AAC schedule.

Pre-NCAA schedule

Vs. Top 25 teams

UConn 11 teams with average rank 14.0 (median rank 13); record 11-0

Notre Dame 12 teams with average rank 12.1 (median rank 13); record 9-3

Vs. Top 10 teams

UConn 5 teams with average rank 5.6 (median rank 6); record 5-0

Notre Dame 5 teams with average rank 5.0 (median rank 4); record 2-3

Entire season schedule

Vs. Top 25 teams

UConn 14 teams with average rank 12.4 (median rank 11); record 13-1

Notre Dame 16 teams withe average rank 9.5 (median 9.5); record 13-3

Vs. Top 10 teams

UConn 7 teams with average rank 5.0 (median rank 6); record 6-1

Notre Dame 8 teams with average rank 4.4 (median 4); record 5-3