UConn Basketball: 2024-25 season preview for the Huskies

Projected Starters

Guard – Hassan Diarra (Senior)

Last year’s Big East Sixth Man of the Year, Diarra steps into a much larger role in his final collegiate season. After two years at Texas A&M, he played on both national title winning teams, averaging 6.1 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 2.4 assists off the bench last season. Diarra’s veteran presence will be an important asset in leading this new-look backcourt, especially coming off a season where he shot the ball much better.

Guard – Solo Ball (Sophomore)

A Top 50 recruit from last offseason, Ball earned a few starts but didn’t see a ton of opportunities in his freshman season with the Huskies. He put up 3.3 points and 1.0 rebounds per game, numbers that don’t jump off the page, but he’ll obviously have a much larger opportunity this season. Expect an explosive leap forward as a sophomore, not to mention what he’ll bring on the defensive side of the ball.

Forward – Liam McNeeley (Freshman)

One of the Top 10 prospects in the nation, McNeeley opted for UConn very late after being released from his commitment to Indiana. A 6’7 forward, he’s a great shooter and talented offensive player with the ability to contend and compete right off the bat. We’ll see if there’s any kind of transition period for McNeeley from high school to the college game, but he could be the latest in a recent line of success, breakthrough UConn freshmen.

Forward – Alex Karaban (Junior)

The lone returner from last season’s starting five, Karaban is a 6’8 forward who’s been a major part of UConn’s success during his underclassman years. A full-time starter in both seasons, Karaban averaged 13.3 points and 5.1 rebounds while making 38% of his 3-pointers. With inspiring shooting figures and above average rebounding ability, Karaban really brings it on both sides of the ball and should be the star of the show for the Huskies.

Center – Samson Johnson (Senior)

We haven’t seen a ton from Johnson to this point in his career, but the 6’10 former from Togo will have a much increased role this season. He was a Top 50 prospect three years ago and was mostly a reserve player before becoming the back-up center as a junior, averaging 5.4 points and 2.8 rebounds per game last season. Opportunities will be aplenty for the guy who led the Big East by making 73.5% of his 2-point field goal attempts and had nice shot blocking figures.