UConn walked out of East Lansing with a preseason win that won’t count in the standings, but it still looked plenty useful for a team trying to sort out its rotation without Braylon Mullins. The Huskies were slow to find a rhythm early, taking a 30-22 lead into halftime, then turned things up in the second half and stretched the margin to as many as 15 before finishing off a 78-70 road victory over Michigan State.
For UConn, the biggest storyline was Nikolas Khamenia. The former five-star prospect and Duke transfer followed up a solid first outing against Syracuse, where he scored 12 points on 5/12 shooting, with an even bigger night against the Spartans.
After a quiet start, he took over over the final 25 minutes and finished with a team-high 19 points and six rebounds on 6/11 shooting. With Mullins still sidelined, the Huskies needed somebody to step into the lead scoring role, and Khamenia did exactly that.
The performance added to the case that he could be one of the breakout sophomores to watch this season.
UConn also got a burst from the bench through Nils Machowski. The Wofford transfer arrived with a résumé that includes 17 points per game last season and nearly 40% shooting from three, even if his exact role with the Huskies still isn’t fully defined because of the incoming perimeter talent and Mullins’ absence.
Against Michigan State, he made his case in a short stretch, scoring nine points and handing out three assists in 13 minutes. His minutes may shrink once the roster is whole, but Dan Hurley should have no trouble finding spots for a shooter who can change the game when UConn needs a spark.
Najai Hines gave the Huskies another encouraging look, even if his night ended early. He scored eight points in 17 minutes before fouling out, and when he was on the floor, he looked like the most imposing big man in the game.
The problem, though, is the same one that showed up in the previous game against Syracuse: staying on the court. Hines logged fewer than 20 minutes there as well.
Like Khamenia, he’s a sophomore with the kind of talent that could help push UConn toward a Final Four run, but only if he can avoid the foul trouble that keeps cutting his nights short.
In Other News...
UConn Just Showed How Dangerous This Team Could Become
UConns exhibition win over Michigan State offered an early look at just how much upside this group can have once it settles in. The Huskies handled a quality opponent 78-70 and got a strong showing from Nik Khamenia, who paced the offense while the team showed enough poise to keep control late against a Spartans squad led by Jeremy Fears Jr.
The encouraging part for UConn is that this came without Braylon Mullins, who remained sidelined while recovering from an undisclosed injury. Even in October, that matters for a roster trying to build depth and define roles, because the Huskies already showed they can lean on multiple sources for scoring and still finish the job against a Big Ten opponent. [Read more 🡒]
UConn Women Face An Early Test That Could Define Everything
The Associated Press preseason poll put South Carolina at No. 1 and UConn at No. 2, which is hardly unfamiliar territory for either program. What stands out for the Huskies is the road ahead: their womens schedule is loaded with ranked opponents, the kind of slate that can sharpen a contender before the calendar even turns.
For UConn, the early measuring sticks are everywhere, and the biggest one comes in November against South Carolina. The mens program has its own tough path too, with seven games against ranked teams, but the womens side is where the national conversation starts right away, and where a lot could be sorted out long before March. [Read more 🡒]
UConn Already Looks Deeper Than Expected After Statement Win
UConns preseason statement against Michigan State carried more weight than the final score alone. The No. 4 Huskies beat the No. 6 Spartans 78-70 and did it with the kind of balanced effort that usually matters most this time of year, when rotations are still settling and teams are trying to sort out how much depth they really have. Nik Khamenia and Silas Demary Jr. were central to the night, and the overall defensive edge UConn showed suggested there may be more trustworthy pieces in the mix than expected.
Braylon Mullins absence was still part of the backdrop, even as UConn kept rolling through another preseason test without him. He warmed up but remained sidelined for a second straight exhibition, leaving the Huskies to continue building chemistry and answer questions about who fills the gaps around the top options. For a team with regular-season expectations as high as UConns, the early signs are encouraging, even if one notable piece remains waiting in the wings. [Read more 🡒]