UConn’s NBA pipeline keeps getting deeper, and the latest addition is one of the bigger recruiting wins in the 2027 class.
NaVorro Bowman Jr., a five-star guard and the No. 11 overall player in the cycle, announced his commitment to the Huskies on Sept. 10. The 6-foot-3, 185-pound prospect is ranked No. 2 among combo guards and arrives with a profile that fits what Dan Hurley has built in Storrs: physical, two-way, and ready to produce on both ends.
Bowman is the son of former NFL All-Pro NaVorro Bowman, and his game has already drawn strong praise from 247Sports analyst Adam Finkelstein, who called him "virtually everything Dan Hurley prioritizes in the backcourt," adding that the highly touted recruit is "both one of the most potent scoring guards and one of the best defenders in the class."
His production backed that up. According to Finkelstein, Bowman averaged 20.5 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.6 steals during his latest grassroots season. He also reportedly has a 6-foot-7 wingspan and was a starter on the USA Basketball team that won gold at the FIBA u17 World Cup.
That blend of scoring, defense and length gives Bowman a chance to climb even higher in the rankings if he puts together a strong senior season. Right now, he sits just outside the top 10 in the 2027 class, but the ceiling is obvious.
For UConn, the commitment is another sign that the program’s talent run isn’t slowing down. The Huskies have played in three of the last four national championship games and won two titles in that stretch. They’ve also sent players to the NBA, including San Antonio Spurs standout Stephon Castle, Portland Trail Blazers big man Donovan Clingan and Spurs’ 2026 first-round pick Tarris Reed Jr.
The Huskies lost to Michigan in the 2026 championship game, but they’re lined up with another strong roster for 2026-27. Braylon Mullins returns for his sophomore season, while five-star freshman Colben Landrew and former five-star Duke transfer Nikolas Khamenia are also part of the mix.
Bowman won’t affect this season, and he won’t be part of the 2027 NBA Draft, either. But he could become a major name in the 2028 class if his development keeps trending up. And for a UConn program that keeps reloading instead of rebuilding, that’s exactly the kind of bet Hurley wants to keep making.
If Mullins leaves for the 2027 draft, Bowman could be positioned as a future answer in the backcourt, even though the two guards bring different skill sets.
In Other News...
Why UConn Fans May Want To Track North Dakota State This Year
North Dakota States jump into FBS football gives the program a new layer of relevance this fall, and Tim Polasek is the coach guiding the transition. Polasek brings a long coaching resume built across the college game, with stops that include Wyoming and Iowa, and he has the kind of background that fits a program used to doing things the hard way: he once played quarterback at the small-college level before moving into coaching.
The Bisons first season in the Mountain West has already become a test of how quickly they can handle a higher profile and a different week-to-week grind. For UConn fans following the broader college landscape, it is worth keeping an eye on how Polaseks team settles in, because early conference play will say plenty about whether North Dakota State can look like a newcomer or something closer to an immediate threat. [Read more 🡒]
Maryland Gets Its First Real Chance To Back Up That Blowout
Maryland arrives in Storrs with a little more than a box score to defend after opening the season with a 62-0 rout of Hampton. This is the first real chance to see whether that kind of start says something lasting about the Terps, because this will be their first road trip and their first game against an FBS opponent this year. With Malik Washington giving the offense a steady presence and DeJuan Williams part of a defense that flashed early, Maryland has reasons to believe the opener was more than a warm-up.
UConn, meanwhile, gets a chance to make the game messy in the one area that can tilt an early-season matchup: the quarterback battle and the way the Huskies can handle it in the trenches. The attention naturally turns to how Marylands front seven will deal with Kalieb Osborne, who is still trying to settle in as the Huskies starter. For a Maryland team trying to show the shutout was a sign of things to come, this trip is less about style points than proving it can carry that opening performance into a tougher setting. [Read more 🡒]
UConn Already Has A Big East Test That Could Change Fast
UConns Big East calendar for 2026-27 is already starting to take shape, and one of the leagues most appealing matchups is on deck again. Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports reported that the Huskies and St. Johns are expected to meet twice in conference play, continuing a rivalry that has gained real edge since Rick Pitino took over in Queens. Since then, the two programs have split their regular-season meetings, and St. Johns has also captured the past two Big East titles, making every new installment feel a little bigger than the last.
The wrinkle is that both sides could look very different by the time those games arrive. UConn is dealing with the usual roster turnover that comes with the modern college game, while St. Johns has a few important pieces still waiting on NCAA eligibility decisions. However it settles, this is one of those Big East matchups that already carries enough weight to matter, and it may carry even more if the rosters finally line up the way each staff hopes. [Read more 🡒]