DeMarcus Henry Jr. closed out his UConn visit on Friday, and the 2027 five-star wing continues to look like one of the biggest prizes on the board.
Henry Jr., a 6-foot-7 versatile forward at Arizona Compass Prep, has narrowed his list to eight schools: Arkansas, BYU, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisville, North Carolina, Ohio State and UConn. He is still a young senior who won’t turn 18 until next month, and he plans to visit every school he is considering this fall.
UConn’s timing matters here, too. The Huskies have picked up recruiting momentum after the recent commitment from Navorro Bowman Jr., and Henry Jr.’s trip to Storrs came right on the heels of that push.
Before heading to Connecticut, Henry Jr. had coaches from BYU, Kentucky, North Carolina and Ohio State in to watch him at Arizona Compass Pro Day on Wednesday.
The buzz around Henry Jr. has been building fast, and the production explains why. He’s a long, left-handed wing who can put the ball on the deck, score while moving, and step out to hit threes with consistency. That kind of skill set travels, which is a big reason he has climbed into the No. 2 and No. 3 range nationally.
His rise got another boost from Peach Jam, where his play in a high-profile setting helped fuel the surge in his stock. The son of the late Chris Henry, who starred at West Virginia before playing for the Cincinnati Bengals, Henry Jr. has taken on more offensive responsibility and run with it.
Last season at Arizona Compass, he filled a complementary scoring role alongside Top-50 recruit Kaden House, now at Maryland, Kalek House at Xavier, and others. Even in that setup, he made his presence felt with efficient scoring, multi-positional defense, a solid mid-range game and a real instinct for the ball.
One of his strongest outings came during Arizona Compass’ 74-54 win over CATS Academy (MA) in the Western Maryland Classic this past winter, when he scored 17 points on 7-for-9 shooting and went 2-for-3 from deep.
His climb on the EYBL circuit was driven by the same traits: relentlessness, explosion, and a knack for making the right play at the right time. That summer stretch brought a wave of new offers, including UConn, Kansas, Arkansas and North Carolina.
At NBA Top 100 camp, Henry Jr. was the event’s leading scorer at 20.1 points per game. He shot 52 percent from the field and 40 percent from 3-point range, while also averaging 9.3 rebounds and three assists.
Syracuse was also busy on the recruiting trail Thursday, extending an offer to Michai White, a high-scoring guard at Prolific Prep (FL).
White is a Class of 2028 prospect, and Syracuse was in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. this week checking in on a group of highly sought-after five-star recruits. The Orange also stopped by Prolific Prep’s South Florida campus to see five-star target Nas Anderson.
In Other News...
Illinois Just Lost A Major Guard Target Now What For The Backcourt
Illinois had been working to keep its footing with five-star guard target NaVorro Bowman Jr., but the 2027 pursuit ended when he committed to UConn. For a program trying to map out its future backcourt, losing that kind of high-end target before the class even takes shape is a sharp reminder of how quickly recruiting boards can change.
The Illini still have options to chase, with King Gibson remaining on their radar after putting Illinois in his top 10 schools. Even so, there is no Champaign visit on his schedule, which leaves the staff to weigh how much more runway it has with top-tier prep guards versus leaning harder into the transfer portal or developing the players already on hand. [Read more 🡒]
UConn Just Got The Early Reality Check Fans Feared
The first home game of the season brought UConn back to earth in a hurry, as Maryland controlled the night from the opening stretches and left the Huskies searching for answers on both sides of the ball. The Terps passing game repeatedly found space against a UConn defense that had little margin for error, turning what had looked like a promising early-season setting into a lopsided 38-14 loss.
Maryland quarterback Malik Washington was the engine behind it all, carving up the secondary with a steady rhythm that never let UConn settle in. And while the defense was being stressed snap after snap, the Huskies offense never found much traction either after the explosiveness it showed in the opener, a reminder that this group still has work to do before it looks like a finished product. [Read more 🡒]
UConn Gets An Early Reality Check After Its Week 1 Surge
UConn heads into Saturdays game at Maryland with a little momentum and a much bigger test. The Huskies opened the season by handling an FCS opponent, while the Terrapins did the same, and both teams arrive at 1-0 with a chance to build on a clean start. It is the kind of early nonconference matchup that can tell UConn a lot about where the program stands after a promising Week 1 surge.
For the Huskies, the trip also brings a familiar next step: proving the opener was more than a fast start against lesser competition. Maryland has been steady in these nonconference games and will bring the kind of speed and depth that usually exposes any loose ends quickly. UConns focus will be on carrying over the confidence from Week 1 while finding out whether its new pieces can hold up when the margin for error gets much smaller. [Read more 🡒]