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UConn Basketball: Jalen Gaffney and James Bouknight transform backcourt for 2019-20

By Brad Cavallaro

(Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
(Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) /
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SACRAMENTO, CA – MARCH 19: Head coach Dan Hurley of the Rhode Island Rams watches on against the Oregon Ducks during the second round of the 2017 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Golden 1 Center on March 19, 2017 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
SACRAMENTO, CA – MARCH 19: Head coach Dan Hurley of the Rhode Island Rams watches on against the Oregon Ducks during the second round of the 2017 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Golden 1 Center on March 19, 2017 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) /

Dan Hurley’s 2019 class is off to a great start as James Bouknight and Jalen Gaffney have committed to UConn. What do they add to the program and where do the Huskies go from here?

UConn needs a serious infusion of talent in their 2019 class as new coach Dan Hurley takes over the program. This is especially true in the backcourt where star guard Jalen Adams is entering his senior season. Adams has played a prominent role in each of his first three seasons at UConn and saw over 38 mpg as a junior. He averaged 18.1 ppg and 4.7 apg, making him one of the best players in the AAC and one of the best guards in the entire country.

Clearly, replacing a player of Adams’ talent will be no easy task, but UConn has added two Top 150 2019 recruits to help lead the program into a new era and back to prominence. Jalen Gaffney and James Bouknight have committed to UConn and will be the team’s backcourt of the future.

Gaffney is a skilled lead guard who can shoot exceptionally well from long-range and can facilitate for his teammates. The 6’2” New Jersey native was ranked 149th by the 247 composite and will have the opportunity to play behind sophomore PG Alterique Gilbert before taking the reigns himself. Although, the two could also play together for stretches as Coach Hurley is not afraid to play 3 or 4 guards simultaneously.

Gaffney chose UConn over three schools that all had a significant need at PG which makes this pickup even more impressive. Xavier, St. John’s, and Clemson will have to look elsewhere for their PG of the future.

Bouknight was the first domino to fall in UConn’s 2019 class and he is the higher rated of the two commits, coming in at 79th for 247’s composite. The 6’4” shooting guard shares some resemblance to former UConn great and current Charlotte Hornet, Jeremy Lamb. Bouknight is a sharp shooter who can knock down long-range attempts with regularity. He is also a great athlete who can put the ball on the floor and attack the rim. Bouknight will likely play behind Christian Vital for one year before stepping into a starting role.

Similar to Gaffney’s recruitment, UConn beat out multiple quality programs, that really needed a perimeter player, to land Bouknight. Virginia Tech and Miami are two schools that are still searching for wing talent and pursued the talented New York native.