UConn’s backcourt may be getting a major jolt sooner than anyone expected.
The Huskies knocked off Michigan 85-77 on Friday night in Boston in a national title game rematch, but the bigger development could be what comes next: Solo Ball is reportedly close to returning to the lineup. According to Matt Norlander of CBS Sports, the guard is nearing a comeback in the next month or so.
That would be a sharp turn from where things stood when Ball had surgery on his left wrist at the conclusion of the 2025-26 season. At that point, he was expected to miss the entire year and take a medical redshirt. Instead, the calendar and the NCAA’s rules have changed the picture.
The new “Five in Five” rule means players now have five years to play five seasons, with no more medical redshirts or “sit out” redshirts. If a player can’t go, that season counts.
So Ball is going to lose this year on his clock either way. If he can return and give UConn 20 games, that’s a win.
If he had only been able to play five, it would have still been worth it once the rule changed.
And if Norlander’s timeline holds, Ball could be back just before Big East play begins.
That’s where the intrigue starts for Dan Hurley and his staff. UConn has already spent the summer, fall and early part of the season building its identity and rotation without him. Bringing Ball back raises immediate questions about how he fits back in, how fast he can get up to speed, and what his role will look like.
Does Hurley put him in the starting five right away? Who loses a spot if he does?
If Ball gets significant minutes, who gets squeezed? If the staff eases him back in, how does that sit with a player who has already produced at a high level?
Those are the decisions UConn will have to sort through.
Ball, a rising senior from Virginia, averaged 12.8 points per game last season. He appeared in all 39 games, added three rebounds a night and handed out more than one assist per game as he helped the Huskies reach the national title game.
With Silas Demary handling point guard duties, Ball was able to settle in at shooting guard, though his outside shooting dipped. He shot 30 percent from three after leading the Big East in that category as a sophomore at 41.4 percent.
Ball also won the national title with UConn as a freshman in 2023-24.
In Other News...
UConn Passed An Early Test In A Game That Got Heated
UConns first real measuring-stick game of the season brought the kind of edge that can reveal a lot in a hurry. At TD Garden in the Naismith Hall of Fame Series, the Huskies handled Michigan 85-77 in a game that had plenty of heat, with technical fouls, foul trouble and stretches where the tone felt as important as the score. Braylon Mullins gave UConn a big scoring lift with 23 points, while Silas Demary Jr. added 21 points, seven rebounds and four assists to help steady things when the game started to get choppy.
Michigan made a second-half push and briefly threatened to turn the night into something more uncomfortable for UConn, but the Huskies kept enough control to protect the lead and close it out. For a team trying to show it can absorb pressure and still execute, this was the kind of early test that can matter later, especially with the physical edge and emotional swings that came with it. The box score will show a win, but the bigger takeaway may be how UConn responded once the game stopped feeling routine. [Read more 🡒]
Silas Demary Jr. Just Changed How UConn Fans See Michigan
Silas Demary Jr. gave UConn exactly the kind of steady, aggressive performance that can reshape a matchup in a hurry. In the Huskies 85-77 win over Michigan at TD Garden, Demary scored 21 points and helped UConn build a strong halftime lead, giving the kind of poised, two-way presence that made the Wolverines spend most of the night chasing.
Braylon Mullins carried the scoring load with 23 points, and UConn still had enough cushion to withstand Michigans late push. The Huskies never let the game fully slip into doubt, even as the Wolverines rallied in the closing stretch, leaving plenty for UConn to feel good about and Michigan to reconsider after a night that started badly and never quite turned around. [Read more 🡒]
UConn Just Sent An Early Message Against Michigan
No. 4 UConns trip to the Naismith Hall of Fame Series at TD Garden offered an early measuring stick, and the Huskies handled it with a steady 85-77 win over No. 16 Michigan. UConn controlled the game from the start, leaning on balanced scoring and enough poise to keep the Wolverines at arms length even as the atmosphere got chippy and the whistles started piling up.
Braylon Mullins poured in 23 points, while Silas Demary Jr. added 21 points, seven rebounds and four assists to help keep the Huskies in command. The game had its share of tense stretches, including technical fouls and foul trouble on both sides, but UConn never gave up the lead and left Boston with a result that felt like more than just an early-season win. [Read more 🡒]