UConn Basketball: 2024-25 season preview for the Huskies
By Joey Loose
Season Outlook
Experience is important in this sport and the fact of the matter is that a number of these players have experienced winning success in this program. You could’ve easily said last year that that didn’t matter, but these Huskies went on a second straight sensational run during March Madness. Defending two national titles is no easy task, but the twelve names on this roster are ready for the challenge.
The backcourt is where the magic begins, as replacing Tristen Newton is no small feat by any means. We didn’t include him in the starting lineup, but the addition of Mahaney could be a major steal if he regains his form from freshman year. Beyond that, Ball and Diarra both have the potential to develop into stars after showing potential during their chances last year.
The Huskies were certainly happy to get Karaban back for his junior year after he flirted with the NBA Draft process. Losing Clingan stings at the back end, but both Johnson and Reed are viable fill-ins who both bring something on defense. There’s no question that the team will take a step back without Clingan’s contributions, but the frontcourt additions cannot be understated. McNeeley has a chance to be really special as well even as a true freshman.
This has been UConn’s world and we’ve all been living in it in recent years, but could the Huskies come back down to earth this season? It would be improper to say this team can’t win a third straight national title, especially after what we’ve seen Hurley do with similar lineups in recent years. A lot will be determined in the coming months as these new lineups work and meld together, with the Huskies really leaning on at least one of those new pieces to standout.
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No one would be surprised to see another Big East title from this squad and we very well could be headed towards that in March. We won’t outright predict a three-peat, but Hurley has given us every reason to believe that these Huskies can develop into high-profile and elite scorers and defenders like in recent years. If Ball, Diarra, and Johnson can step up after watching national championships, then they might be part of their own run of success in 2025.