Welcome to my team preview series for 2024-25. Each day between now and the start of the college basketball season, I will preview one team or conference, both on Instagram (@collegehoopsoutlet) and through an article here. The preview will go in-depth on the roster build of the team, my expectations for their upcoming season, and the state of the program under their current head coach.
UConn (Projected: 2nd in Big East)
The Huskies are the defending back-to-back national champions and I’m projecting Dan Hurley’s squad to finish second in their own conference? Yes, yes I am. Hurley has launched himself into the conversation for best coach in college basketball over the last 18 months, but I think he has another difficult job ahead of himself after losing four of the top five scorers from last year’s team. Not to say this team won’t be extremely competitive, and it’d be disrespectful to not place this team inside the top 15 nationally.
Alex Karaban (13 ppg, 5 rpg) is the lone starter returning for Hurley, likely a big part of the reason Hurley stayed put in Storrs and turned down the Los Angeles Lakers. Karaban has started 77 of his 78 career games for the Huskies, developing into a three-level scorer and a solid all-around forward for Hurley’s squad. Now one of the veteran leaders of the team, Karaban could be the guy to lead the Huskies in scoring, although he will have to become a bit more of a shot creator than a shot maker in his increased role.
For Karaban to be as good as possible, his fellow returners will have to step up in place of the four starters who departed. In the backcourt, both Hassan Diarra (6 ppg) and Solomon Ball (3 ppg) should have increased roles. My guess is Diarra will start for the Huskies at point guard, a bench piece in both of the championship runs who has patiently waited for his chance to shine. Ball started 10 games as a freshman, filling in for an injured Steph Castle at the beginning of last season. Ball showed flashes of potential throughout the year, but never developed a consistent shot. Now a sophomore, I think it’s reasonable to expect a jump in efficiency from Ball.
A handful of frontcourt depth pieces join Karaban, Diarra, and Ball as returners for the Huskies. Samson Johnson (6 ppg) is another guy who could step into a starting role, averaging 16.1 mpg as a key backup to Donovan Clingan. Johnson now gets his chance to start consistently for the Huskies and should become more than just a get-ball, dunk-ball guy. Forwards Jaylin Stewart (3 ppg) and Jordan Ross (1 ppg) should both see time in the forward spots for the Huskies, each back for their sophomore seasons. Youssouf Singare (1 ppg) also returns to the frontcourt but isn’t projected to make much of an impact as a sophomore.
Just four players left UConn this offseason, but all of them were instrumental to the Huskies’ success during one or both of their national championship runs. The backcourt lost the trio of Tristen Newton (15 ppg, 7 rpg, 6 apg), Cam Spencer (14 ppg, 5 rpg, 4 apg), and Stephon Castle (11 ppg, 5 rpg), while Donovan Clingan (13 ppg, 7 rpg) was the lone man to depart from the frontcourt.
Moving onto the incoming players, the Huskies picked up two transfers this offseason. Aidan Mahaney (14 ppg at Saint Mary’s) will likely step into a starting role in the backcourt after spending two seasons at Saint Mary’s under Randy Bennett. Mahaney became one of a limited number of freshmen to play big minutes for Bennett at Saint Mary’s, but didn’t quite make the jump many thought he would in his sophomore season. Regardless, Hurley picks up an experienced combo guard who has been a key piece in two tournament teams and can do anything needed of him in the backcourt. Tarris Reed Jr. (9 ppg, 7 rpg at Michigan) will be another guy involved in the frontcourt for the Huskies, possibly splitting time with Johnson the way Johnson split time with Clingan and Clingan split time with Adama Sanogo in years past. Reed started 31 games a year ago at Michigan, establishing himself as an enforcer in the paint on both ends of the floor.
Dan Hurley got on the recruiting trails as well to fill out his roster this offseason. Liam McNeeley (5*, NAT 11) is the biggest get of the three incoming players, an extremely talented scorer from all three levels. McNeeley stands at 6-7 and should be an important player on the wing for the Huskies, already drawing comparisons to Huskies now-legend Cam Spencer. Ahmad Nowell (4*, NAT 36) should also have an impact as a freshman, next in line behind Steph Castle and Solomon Ball as an important freshman in the backcourt. Isaiah Abraham (4*, NAT 61) will be another guy in the rotation on the wing, a great athlete and defender that can bring something unique to that spot on the floor for the Huskies.
Dan Hurley likely has one of the top five most secure jobs in college basketball, as long as he chooses to stay in Storrs. You have to assume he will, especially after turning down the Los Angeles Lakers this summer. As long as Hurley is at the helm and the Huskies stay in the Big East, they should be highly competitive and consistently one of the 10-15 best teams in the country.
The Huskies will greatly miss Newton, Spencer, Clingan, and Castle this season, but they have plenty of talented guys that can step in and develop into these roles, although it may take most of the season or into next season. The X-factor in my eyes is Samson Johnson, a bench piece for the last three seasons and now a guy who will likely start at center. Johnson shot 72.5% from the field last season as Clingan’s backup, but now as a starter, the shots he gets likely won’t all be easy dunks. If Johnson can flourish in his new role for a system that has seen two elite bigs come out of it in the last two seasons, the Huskies could at least contend for a third straight national championship – something simply unheard of unless your name is John Wooden.
Projecting the back-to-back national champions to finish second in their own conference isn’t easy to do, but I like Xavier just a bit more than what UConn has right now. The Huskies lost four crucial players for their team’s success last season, and even with the trust I have in Hurley, it may be tough to keep the standard that has been set. There’s lots of young talent on this squad, but to get it to all shine and gel together in one offseason may be tougher than it looks.