RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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Life is going to look a little different in Storrs this season. UConn , fresh off its third Final Four appearance in the last four years, is facing the reality that it must replace three starters, three more role players and two coaches from one of the smartest game-planning staffs in America. Long-time UConn assistant Tom Moore retired, and sharp offensive mastermind Luke Murray took the Boston College gig.
And yet, the Huskies enter 2026-27 with legitimate National Championship aspirations. Such is life for a big-boy program. Change is inevitable. Sky-high expectations are unavoidable.
Let's dive into the weeds of Dan Hurley's new roster.
Demary will be the standard-bearer for this group now that program pillar Alex Karaban is off to the NBA . Demary has all the tools (on the court and between the ears) to be the best point guard in college basketball next season. The jumbo lead guard is a vicious point-of-attack defender who will take tough assignments every night, and he plays such a physical brand of basketball on both ends. Over 40% of Demary's shots came at the rim last year, and he notched the fourth-best free throw rate in Big East play. Oh, and he led the league in assists (5.9 per game).
Getting fully healthy was a big priority this offseason because of how much it impacted his offensive aggression. UConn needs more from Demary offensively this year without Karaban, Tarris Reed and the injured Solo Ball . Demary was a bit too deferential for stretches, and his nasty ankle injury in March sapped a ton of his explosiveness. More drives. More 3s, especially to restock the nearly 12 attempts per game that the Karaban-Ball, 1-2 punch provided last season.
With a huge workload on tap, Demary has every opportunity to be a 15-5-5 guy in 2026-27. No high-major player hit that threshold last year, but it's in play for Demary. That's an All-American, just like Tristen Newton evolved into in his second year under Hurley on the way to the 2024 National Championship.
Mullins is not a true breakout candidate (he averaged 12.1 points last year and started 29 games for a team that went to the natty), but he will be one of the faces of college basketball next season.
OH MY GOODNESS 😱 UCONN LEADSSSS UNBELIEVABLE #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/IPX2JWiw0b
But even the most historic shots don't carry over to the next season. Mullins passed on the NBA to return to UConn for his sophomore year to do some special things. Remember, he suffered a preseason ankle injury that knocked his freshman season off-kilter for over two months. A full, healthy offseason should work wonders for his development. Getting stronger is a huge priority, and Mullins has already packed on over 10 pounds.
The situation has changed drastically, too. UConn's layered, complex offense created the second-most 3s off screens in the country last season. Karaban (141 possessions) and Ball (134 possessions) sopped up a ton of that usage with Mullins (91 possessions) mixing in behind 'em. Mullins goes from No. 3 on the pecking order to No. 1 for those movement treys. He will have every chance to lead the Big East in triples next season.
But Mullins' secret sauce may be that he doesn't tie his value to the jumpers going in or not. Mullins knows how to use leverage to his advantage, slipping off curls to get to his pull-up jumper or saucy floater. I think UConn will give him a chance to play with the ball in his hands a bit more and show his full arsenal. Pressuring the rim even more should be a priority with a stronger frame. He's also a willing offensive rebounder and a competitor defensively.
Mullins is in for a gigantic year. The All-American prophecies will age wisely.
If Ross pans out, UConn may have the best backcourt in America. The role allocation may be a bit easier with Ross on the floor while Ball is on the mend. Ross is not the shooter of Ball's ilk, but he brings more defense, athleticism and rebounding. UConn rated in the 98th percentile nationally with a +23 net rating with Ross, Demary and Mullins on the floor together. I think that's real because you have no duplicative skill sets in that backcourt.
Demary is the point guard who makes others better. Mullins is the elite shot-maker. Ross brings a sky-scraping athlete on the wing. It's a sharp mix, and it's one that UConn is betting big on.
Demary is an elite guard defender, and Ross can be an elite wing defender. That gives UConn two big, strong perimeter stoppers who can go toe-to-toe with anyone. Decision-making will be everything for Ross. Tightening up his handle and playing cleaner will be essential. He's made strides as a shooter (39% on 64 attempts last year), but if he can be trusted to attack long closeouts and make the right read at the right time, Ross is going to help this club a ton.
Processing and passing are two vital qualities for a UConn offense that moves the basketball more than so many others. Those are two of Khamenia's superpowers. He made plenty of enemies jumping sides in the burgeoning Duke-UConn rivalry, but the former five-star recruit should succeed in Storrs. The 6-foot-8 stretch 4 is not a movement shooter like Karaban, but he offers a bit more mismatch hunting. UConn could use Khamenia in backdowns to create advantages in late-clock situations. He'll help this offense with his spot-up shooting, cutting and offensive rebounding.
Plus, he's got some nastiness that should jive well with Hurley's personality. Khamenia isn't afraid to stick his nose in the fan. It could be a little clunky at first -- the adjustment process for transfers in this scheme is real -- but Khamenia should develop into an excellent role player with room to grow into so much more down the road.
Bart Torvik's database goes back to 2008. There are dozens of stats for thousands of players.
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