James Bouknight has yet to play a minute in the Big East, but the conference coaches know a rising star when they see one.
The sophomore guard was chosen to the preseason all-conference second team on Wednesday during the league’s media day via Zoom.
“We have the highest expectations for the type of season James can put together," UConn coach Dan Hurley said. “I think James is going to prove himself to be one of the best guards in the country.”
Bouknight was one of the best freshmen in the country last season, averaging 13 points and 4.1 rebounds on his way to All-AAC Third-Team and All-ACC Rookie Team honors.
“I’m honestly just honored that the coaches feel I'm a top-10 player in the league,” Bouknight said of his first Big East honor.
After being a key part of UConn’s first winning season since 2016, Bouknight wants an encore and more as the Huskies reenter the Big East conference.
“Being from New York, playing in the Big East has been a dream of mine,” he said.
And Bouknight doesn’t want to stop either. Despite COVID-19 throwing a wrench into the end of last season and delaying the start of this one, he is all in.
“I want to have a full season,” he said. “I want to play non-conference games, Big East games, the conference tournament, and then the NCAA Tournament.”
Due to media restrictions, the Huskies have been the only ones to see how much Bouknight has bought-in during the offseason, and they have come away impressed.
“He’s practicing incredibly hard,” Hurley said. “He’s dialed in and looks like a guy that understands the moment he’s in in his career. And it doesn’t look like the moment will be too big for him."
Bouknight, among other Huskies, has benefitted from the addition of Mike Rehfeldt, who became the director of sports performance in July. Rehfeldt has been responsible for not only getting the Huskies in the gym, but making sure they eat and train properly as well.
In Bouknight’s case, it has meant an additional 20 pounds to his 6-foot-5 frame, moving him up to about 195 pounds.
“I feel like my confidence is at an all-time high,” Bouknight said. “I’ve been working on my game all summer, getting stronger, more explosive. I think we are in a good space, and me personally, I’m in a good space.”
When he arrived in Storrs in June of 2019, Bouknight had to undergo the typical freshman transition to the college game, leaning on senior teammates Christian Vital and Alterique Gilbert for guidance.
With those veterans gone, Bouknight’s role has changed going into his sophomore campaign.
“Last year was more of a learning process for me and I was trying to learn from the older guys what you need to be a good player in college,” Bouknight said. “This year I’ve just come in with a different type of mindset, my goal, my number one goal is just to help the team win. Do whatever I need to do to help the team win. And if that’s being a vocal leader, then (I’ll do it). So now it’s more of a teaching thing, teaching the new guys some of the things I learned last year that helped me be successful.”
Senior teammate Isaiah Whaley, who underwent his own growth spurt on the court last season, has noticed a difference in Bouknight.
“He’s grown a lot,” Whaley said. “He used to be a young kid trying to learn everything like freshmen do, try to do everything a little too perfect and be robotic."
"But now, he’s in the zone,” Whaley added. “It’s fun. We used to be the ones teaching him and now he’s the one in the corner talking with (freshman Andre Jackson) giving him pointers and stuff. He also sometimes gives us upperclassmen some pointers - he’s really matured a lot.”
Bouknight and the Huskies will host St. John's on Dec. 11 to begin their Big East conference slate, with games at Georgetown (Dec. 13), at Providence (Dec. 17), vs. Creighton (Dec. 20), and at DePaul (Dec. 23) to follow during a busy first full month of the 2020-21 season.
Watch James Bouknight and Isaiah Whaley's full media sessions here:
