UConn’s biggest question heading into the 2026-27 men’s basketball season is sitting right where the paint gets crowded and the hits get heavy.
The Huskies should have plenty of pop in the backcourt. Silas Demary Jr. and Braylon Mullins are projected to form what could be the best starting guard duo in the country, and UConn’s depth there looks strong as well.
The wings also appear to be in good shape, with outside shooting part of the package. But the interior is where the uncertainty lives.
That’s why Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports singled out incoming transfer center Na’jai Hines as UConn’s biggest “X-Factor” for next season.
Hines, who is 6-foot-10, arrives from Seton Hall after posting 6.5 points and 5.5 rebounds per game last season. He also averaged 2.2 blocks in 18 minutes a night. Rothstein noted that when Hines plays more than 20 minutes per game, his production jumps to 10 points and eight rebounds.
That kind of lift would matter for Dan Hurley’s team. With Tarris Reed Jr. gone to graduation and Eric Reibe transferred out, UConn is left with real questions at center and the post spots. The Huskies need someone who can score inside and force defenses to account for the bigs instead of loading up on the perimeter.
Hines is not the only new face in the mix down low. Oskar Giltay, a 6-foot-10 transfer from Stanford, should also see the floor.
The Belgium native appeared in 32 games for the Cardinal last season, playing just under 15 minutes per game. He averaged 3.3 points and 4.1 rebounds while weighing in at 235 pounds.
There’s also 7-footer Elmir Dzafic, who transferred in from Arkansas. He played 16 minutes across seven games for the Razorbacks.
UConn enters the new season after finishing second in the Big East regular season race and ending up as the runner-up in the Big East Tournament. Even so, the Huskies surged through the NCAA Tournament, knocking off Duke in the Elite 8 and then beating Illinois in the Final Four.
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