Dan Hurley opened this offseason with a roster puzzle that asked a lot of his staff: 10 open spots to fill, eight of them through the transfer portal, and a team that had to replace the significant departures of Alex Karaban and Tarris Reed Jr. The bet was clear - trust player development, stitch together the new pieces, and see if the early signs from three preseason exhibitions would carry into the season.
So far, the early returns have been encouraging. The returning talent has meshed well with the newcomers, and UConn’s roster now has a deep, layered look as the Huskies head into 2026-27.
No. 0 Junior County, a 6-5 freshman guard, is one of the more unusual first-year players Hurley has had to work with.
Freshman point guards rarely get on the floor for him, but County looks like the exception. At 6-foot-5 and listed as a four-star prospect, he gives UConn size at the position whenever Silas Demary Jr. is off the court.
Solo Ball’s path has already taken a twist. The 6-4 senior guard had initially planned to treat this year as a medical redshirt after wrist surgery this offseason, but with the five-for-five rule now passed, he can return once he is ready and still remain part of the Huskies’ plans for 2027-28. That gives UConn another experienced piece in the backcourt.
The group around him is loaded with intriguing options. Silas Demary Jr., a 6-4 senior guard, enters as one half of what could be the best backcourt in the country.
Hurley expects him to operate at an All-America level if UConn is going to reach the heights it wants this season. On the other side of the floor, Braylon Mullins is drawing plenty of attention after his game-winning shot against Duke.
The 6-6 sophomore guard is a borderline AP preseason All-American and will be asked to become more consistent as a shooter while showing more of his ball-handling and playmaking.
UConn’s wings and forwards bring another wave of competition. Colben Landrew, a 6-6 freshman forward, was named the preseason Big East Freshman of the Year and has the physical tools to make an immediate impact.
He has already pushed Jayden Ross for a starting role during a strong preseason. Ross, now a 6-7 senior forward, is back after a late-season rise last year and into the NCAA Tournament, where his two-way game stood out.
This offseason, he worked on expanding his offense while keeping the defense that has made him such a trusted piece.
Nik Khamenia, a 6-8 sophomore forward who came over from Duke, carries the kind of expectations that come with trying to replace Alex Karaban. The fit appears to be natural, though, with Hurley seeing traits in him that resemble the departed captain.
The same goes for the rest of the frontcourt. Na’jai Hines, a 6-11 sophomore center, gives the Huskies a powerful interior presence, with flashes of Adama Sanogo and Tarris Reed Jr. in his game, though consistency remains part of the assignment.
There is depth behind him, too. Oskar Giltay, a 6-11 sophomore center transfer from Stanford, earned a “He-Man” comparison from Hurley and arrives with added physicality as a movement center next to Hines.
Elmir Džafic, a 7-0 sophomore center who played last year for John Calipari at Arkansas, is still more of a long-term project than a ready-made third center. Jacob Ross, the 6-6 sophomore forward, may also help in the middle as a small-ball center after debuting in that role in the exhibition at Michigan State, though the staff wants him to add weight before relying on him heavily in foul trouble or difficult matchups.
The transfer class also gives UConn more options on the perimeter. Nils Machowski, a 6-4 senior guard from Wofford, shot over 38% from 3-point range last year and brings some of the same feel UConn fans saw from Cam Spencer and Joey Calcaterra.
Jaye Nash, a 6-2 junior guard who spent time at Tulsa and Jacksonville State, started nearly half of the Jackrabbits’ games and should provide steady ball-handling even if his role is smaller in Storrs. Senior guard Solo Ball, once healthy, only adds to the layers.
And then there are the newer arrivals who could change the shape of the rotation. Egor Amosov, a 6-8 freshman forward from Russia, is the final addition to the roster and has a chance to push Hurley’s rotation to 10 players if he settles in quickly.
At the other end of the experience scale is Isaiah Shaw, a 6-8 redshirt senior forward and nephew of Baylor’s Scott Drew and Grand Canyon’s Bryce Drew. Shaw can hit a 3 if needed, but his larger value will come in practice and in the locker room, where UConn will lean on his veteran voice.
That’s the makeup of this team: a mix of proven names, high-upside newcomers and a few players whose roles may evolve as the season unfolds. Hurley took a swing on development, and the roster now reflects exactly that.
In Other News...
Dan Hurley Sees One Early Edge This UConn Team Could Own
After UConns exhibition win over Purdue, Dan Hurley spent as much time on the defensive promise of this group as he did on the mistakes that still need cleaning up. The Huskies coach sees a roster with the kind of perimeter length and activity that can make life miserable for opposing guards, and he pointed to the early contributions from Silas Demary Jr., Braylon Mullins, Jayden Ross, Colben Landrew and Nik Khamenia as part of that picture. He also mentioned the center tandem of Najai Hines and Oskar Giltay, a frontcourt pairing that gives UConn another layer to work with as the season takes shape.
Hurley did not pretend the defensive rotations were perfect in the exhibition, but the bigger takeaway was the ceiling. For a program that has won big by turning toughness into identity, the idea that this team could become especially strong on the perimeter is the kind of early-season detail worth watching. There is still plenty to sort out before the games count for real, but the Huskies already look like a group that can make opponents uncomfortable in ways that matter in March. [Read more 🡒]
UConns Star Power Keeps Growing Ahead Of A Huge Season
UConns frontcourt talent is already drawing national attention before either team tips off the season. Freshman Colben Landrew landed on the Julius Erving Award preseason watch list, while sophomore Blanca Quionez made the Cheryl Miller Award preseason watch list, giving the Huskies another pair of players recognized among the countrys most promising wing options.
Both honors point to the same bigger picture for UConn: the programs star power is deep, across both rosters, and the preseason recognition keeps piling up. With multiple Huskies already appearing on various watch lists, the expectation around Storrs keeps climbing, and these early nods only add to the sense that a huge season could be waiting on both sides. [Read more 🡒]
UConns Defense Is Giving Huskies Fans A Real Reason To Believe
Dan Hurley has reason to feel encouraged about where UConns defense stands heading into the 2026-27 season. The Huskies opened the preseason 3-0, and the early signs have been especially promising on the perimeter, where opponents have struggled to find clean looks against a group trying to set the tone before the games start counting.
UConn now turns to a regular-season opener against Gardner-Webb, then a non-conference slate that should quickly show whether this defensive start is something more durable. The preseason numbers have already given the Huskies a foundation to build on, and the next stretch will reveal how much of that edge travels once the schedule stiffens. [Read more 🡒]