Big East Basketball: Way-too-early conference power rankings for 2020-21

4. Connecticut Huskies

2019-20: 19-12 (10-8), t-5th in AAC
Key Departures: G Christian Vital, G Alterique Gilbert
Incoming Freshmen: F Andre Jackson, C Javonte Brown-Ferguson
Incoming Transfers: Tyrese Martin (Rhode Island – sit-out)

Headline: Will the Huskies be energized or overwhelmed by their return to the Big East?

Star Watch: James Bouknight
Who makes The Leap: Jalen Gaffney
X-Factor: A Reinvigorated Fanbase

The prodigal Huskies have returned to their native land. UConn’s return to the basketball-centric Big East is a welcome one and should add some spirit to what was already a fiery regular-season race. UConn has floundered since winning its fourth national title in 2014, appearing in just one NCAA tournament since, and averaging just 16 wins over the last four years.

But the program took a nice step forward in Year Two of the Danny Hurley era, and though leading scorer Christian Vital has graduated, there is still plenty of roster talent remaining in Storrs to push UConn into the top half of the Big East.

Any 2020-21 UConn conversation begins with Bouknight, the 6-foot-4 Providence native. The former four-star recruit has a pair of pogo sticks for legs (seriously, his highlights are absurd), and features a well-rounded offensive game to boot. As a freshman, Bouknight hit 50 percent of his two-point attempts, 35 percent of his threes, and 82 percent of his free throws. Know any other first-year guards to hit those shooting marks while scoring at least 13 ppg? Steph Curry, Chris Paul, and Kyrie Irving, just to name a few. Bouknight is not the shooter or passer that those guys were at his age (though Bouknight’s shooting stroke and free throw mark are encouraging), but he is significantly bouncier. He instantly takes over Markus Howard’s mantle as the Big East’s highlight machine, though in a very different way.

With Vital gone and Bouknight more of a scorer, the Huskies need sophomore point guard Gaffney to step up and steward the offense. Hurley used Gaffney as more of a bit rotation player to start the season, but he became a critical piece of the puzzle down the stretch, averaging 28 minutes per game over UConn’s final 13 contests, including 11 starts. He wasn’t much of a scorer in those minutes, and like all freshman guards, he struggled with turnovers and defense. But he has a really nice feel for the game, a decent shot, and the desire to set up scoring opportunities for his teammates. He should thrive in a full-time role as a sophomore.