UConn may not be done adding to its 2026 picture after all.
Four-star forward Caleb Ourigou is weighing a reclassification from the 2027 class, and if he makes that move, he’ll have to choose quickly from a final group that includes UConn, Arkansas, Kentucky and BYU. On3 reported that the 6-foot-10 prospect has developed a growing interest in the Huskies, with Joe Tipton noting that a decision on both the reclassification and his school choice is coming with time running short.
Ourigou, who is from New York City and plays for Overtime Elite in Georgia, has already taken visits to all four schools. Last Thursday in Las Vegas, UConn’s Dan Hurley, Arkansas coach John Calipari and Kentucky’s Mark Pope were all there to watch him in EYBL action. BYU, meanwhile, had two assistants on hand, according to Tipton.
The recruiting race still has Arkansas sitting in the lead on 247Sports’ crystal ball, but Ourigou didn’t exactly hide his interest in UConn when he spoke with Tipton. He praised Hurley, the program’s success, and the chance to stay close to home.
“It’s closer to home. Obviously, all my family would be able to be there,” he told Tipton.
“Dan Hurley is a crazy guy. I like that.
I can feed off his energy. He’s a really good guy, too.
UConn also, they win a lot of championships. They’re doing things really good.
All dogs are there, and I’m a dog too.”
He also said in the interview that Arkansas appeals to him because of Calipari’s history of sending players to the NBA.
If Ourigou does jump into the 2026 class, the clock will be ticking for a final call.
His comments about wanting a place where he can chase a championship line up cleanly with UConn’s recent run. The Huskies have won two titles and reached another Final Four over the past four seasons, and Hurley made that point clear while in Las Vegas, too.
"We've had the second most amount of players drafted in the last four or five years, but we also have national shampionships to show for it and finals appearances to show for it," Hurley said. "We don't hang our hats on just getting our guys to the NBA.
We don’t hang our hats on just getting to championship games. We're able to do both."
There is also room for UConn to make the move happen. Monday’s signing of Egor Amosov, a 6-7 forward from Russia, filled the roster to the maximum of 15, but one of those spots belongs to Solo Ball, who will miss the season because of injury.
By rule, UConn can replace Ball on the roster because of how long he will be out. Ball, a senior, is redshirting this season and plans to finish his UConn career in 2027-28.
In Other News...
UConn Football Is Entering A New Era With Plenty Unanswered
UConns 2026 football season is already beginning to take shape, and the first date on the calendar brings a fresh opponent to East Hartford. The Huskies will open Sept. 5 at Pratt & Whitney Stadium against Lafayette, a matchup that will be the first between the two programs and an early chance to see how the roster settles into a new look.
The offseason work has not been limited to the field, either. UConn is still filling out its football support staff for 2026, with openings for strength and conditioning interns and student equipment managers, a reminder that the program is building from the ground up in more ways than one as it heads into a new chapter. [Read more 🡒]