While they didn’t win another national championship to give Coach Dan Hurley three in his Hall of Fame career, UConn Basketball continues to be one of the top programs in all of college basketball. That’s likely not to change this upcoming season, as the Huskies have a top-15 caliber roster for the upcoming year.
But what are the key storylines and questions to watch with this team? Here’s a look at three specific topics.
1. Playing without Solo Ball
Ball started each of the last two years at UConn, averaging 12.8 ppg on 39% FG shooting last season. Unfortunately, he’s already been declared out for the 2026-27 season, recovering from a wrist injury that’s been bothering him in the months prior. The good news for the Huskies is that they bring back starting point guard Silas Demary Jr., as well as sophomore guard and national breakout contender, Braylon Mullins.
The team also added Wofford transfer Nils Machowski (17.2 ppg), an All-SoCon star at Wofford who shot 38% from deep on 7.4 attempts a game. Look for him to have a role in the backcourt rotation, as UConn looks to collectively fill Ball’s lost production.
2. Development of the sophomore frontcourt
Mullins isn’t the only sophomore player UConn Basketball has high hopes on. Replacing the senior frontcourt duo of Alex Karaban and Tarris Reed are a pair of notable offseason transfers. Nikolas Khamenia (5.7 ppg and 3.3 rpg) is a former five-star prospect who played 20 mpg at Duke as a freshman and is looking for a larger role at UConn.
Najai Hines (6.5 ppg and 5.5 rpg) reclassified to join Seton Hall last season and proved to be a quality interior defender, averaging over two blocks a game as a freshman. Both will be breakout candidates and there’s a world where this frontcourt is one of the best in the country. But if one or both underachieves, the Huskies’ ceiling will be different.
3. Who is the next key freshmen contributor?
Coach Hurley has a good history of freshmen impact players, with Mullins being an example from last year alone. This season, the Huskies have a trio of newcomers with potential. Big man Egor Amosov will be looking for minutes inside, while guards Colben Landrew and Junior County are top-40 prospects who have been on some early NBA Draft boards and could be key players in the guard rotation with Ball out.
While UConn could be young overall, there’s plenty of talent that can make them Big East and even national contenders.
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