Dan Hurley doesn’t need much convincing about what can carry UConn this season. After the Huskies’ 72-52 exhibition win over Syracuse last week at Mohegan Sun Arena, the head coach pointed straight to the defensive possibilities on his roster.
“You get Silas (Demary), who's maybe the best ball-hawking point guard in the country. And, you know, we're really tall there.
I mean, whether it's Braylon (Mullins) or Colben (Landrew), who's 6-foot-6, and then it's Jay Ross at 6-foot-7, and Nik, who's 6-foot-8 and got some length to him. And then you bring Junior County in, who looks like the guy's grown even a little more.
Guy looks like he's like 6-foot-5 out there.
You know, the centers are both big, physical, strong, athletic. You know, like J.
Mac's done a great job in the summer and the preseason with these guys, getting these guys stronger. And I thought, you saw that physicality out there.”
That was Hurley’s read after a game UConn controlled even without Braylon Mullins, who sat out with an injury. The Huskies were already getting encouraging signs, and the missing sophomore only adds to what this group can become once he’s back on the floor.
Demary was a big part of the tone on defense against Syracuse, and he’ll be asked to set it again Tuesday night when UConn plays exhibition game No. 2 at Michigan State in East Lansing at 7 p.m. ET.
The senior guard has earned that responsibility. Last season, he was an All-Big East selection after putting up 10.1 ppg, 4.5 rebounds and 5.9 assists.
This year, though, the job looks different. UConn is going to be operating without Alex Karaban and Tarris Reed Jr., both in the NBA, and without Solo Ball for a significant stretch because of wrist surgery. That means more will be asked of Demary on the scoring end, more will be demanded of him as a playmaker, and plenty will still ride on the pressure he creates at the point of attack.
If UConn is going to make another serious run, it will need that version of Demary - the one who changes games with his defense and helps turn stops into offense. The Huskies are trying to get back to the national title game for the fourth time in five years, and Hurley clearly believes this team’s ceiling starts with how well it can guard.
The women’s team is back in action Monday night at 7 p.m. ET against Texas at PeoplesBank Arena in Hartford.
UConn opened its exhibition schedule with an 88-60 win over Syracuse last week, and the regular season for both programs starts Nov. 2.
The men are coming off a trip to the national title game, where they lost to Michigan, while the women reached the national semifinals before falling to South Carolina. The women finished last season 38-1.
In Other News...
UConn Is Again A Title Contender But One Test Looms Fast
UConn enters the season with the kind of respect that comes from repeated success, landing No. 4 in the AP preseason top 25 behind Florida, Duke and Illinois. Dan Hurleys team kept three starters, added transfers and freshmen, and once again looks built to spend the winter in the title conversation, even as the Big East showed only one other ranked team in St. Johns at No. 13.
The first real measuring stick arrives quickly, and it is a harsh one for a roster still blending returning pieces with newcomers. UConns nonconference slate is loaded with ranked opponents, and the Huskies will not have much time to ease into things before finding out how this version stacks up against the national elite. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas Just Added A New Wrinkle To UConn's Toughest Test
Kansas gave UConn a little more to think about with the addition of Trey Kaufman-Renn, a veteran big man who spent four seasons at Purdue before deciding to return to college basketball. The move comes just before the start of the season, and it gives the Jayhawks another experienced piece as they shape a roster built to handle one of the sports most demanding schedules.
His arrival also fits into a wider NCAA landscape that has gotten murkier, not clearer, as eligibility rules continue to shift. The new five-years-to-play-five-seasons framework has changed how teams and players view roster-building, while disputes over extra eligibility for certain seniors keep adding twists for programs trying to plan ahead. For UConn, it means a matchup that was already going to be a test now carries one more layer of uncertainty. [Read more 🡒]
UConn Gets An Early Reality Check With Michigan State Coming Up
UConns next tune-up comes with a little more edge than the usual preseason exhibition. The Huskies are set to meet Michigan State in the second half of a home-and-home series, giving them an early test against a program that rarely treats October basketball as anything less than serious business. Tom Izzo is back for his 34th season guiding the Spartans, and Michigan State will bring back familiar pieces in Jeremy Fears Jr. and Coen Carr.
For UConn, it is the kind of matchup that can reveal a lot before the games start counting. The timing alone adds some intrigue, and the fact that this one is being carried exclusively on B1G+ means it will be tucked away from the broader college hoops audience rather than played out in the usual national spotlight. There is also some uncertainty around the Huskies lineup heading into it, which only adds to the sense that this exhibition may say a little more than a typical preseason scrimmage. [Read more 🡒]