UConn Basketball: 3 key storylines heading into 2020-21 season

PHILADELPHIA, PA - JANUARY 18: Head coach Dan Hurley of the Connecticut Huskies helps up Jalen Gaffney #0 during a college basketball game against the Villanova Wildcats at Wells Fargo Center on January 18, 2020 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images) /

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DES MOINES, IA – MARCH 17: The Connecticut Huskies mascot (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /

UConn Basketball hasn’t made the NCAA tournament since 2016. Will that change this season?

The buzz for UConn Basketball coming into the 2020-21 season is unmatched. They return to the Big East and rekindle rivalries with old foes (keep an eye out for their matchups versus Georgetown, Villanova, and a championship rematch versus Butler). Furthermore, they return some key players and will be expected to be in the top half of the conference for the 2020-21 season.

Last year, Dan Hurley improved and had his first winning season in Storrs. While Hurley loses leading scorer Christian Vital (16.4 PPG), almost every other player expects to return for UConn, and they only wait on a few players recovering from injuries.

While Hurley has improved, patience is short for UConn fans. Kevin Ollie was booted after missing the tournament for two seasons among other things, and fans have seen their team win four national titles since 1999. The University of Connecticut is a national brand and the return to the Big East will include high expectations.

In this article, we’ll talk about the Huskies return to the Big East and how that will affect their play. We’ll also look at the backcourt for the Huskies and their new sit-out transfer who becomes eligible. UConn has had legendary backcourt players like Ray Allen, Richard Hamilton, Kemba Walker, and Shabazz Napier. And, I expect the Huskies to be led by their backcourt again this season. Lastly, we’ll look at their frontcourt which could include some new recruits.

So, let’s look at three key storylines for the Connecticut Huskies for the 2020-21 Men’s Basketball Season.