The UConn men’s basketball season ended with a loss to Florida last week, but with the transfer portal, the stream of news is far from over.
The Huskies have a few players who have already transferred, some who might, a handful who could go to the NBA, and some who have graduated. Let’s dig into the status of the unknowns in each group and what it means/predictions.
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ALREADY TRANSFERRED
Isaiah Abraham - Abraham was the first casualty to the transfer portal for the Huskies and it wasn’t particularly devastating. He played just nine games all year, totaling 37 minutes. He entered Connecticut as the No. 78 recruit in 2024 and wasn’t expected to play much last year. It’s not crazy that he might transfer somewhere with a less crowded wing room. There’s potential that Alex Karaban, Jayden Ross and Jaylin Stewart come back, which doesn’t leave a ton of room for Abraham.
What it means - It doesn’t mean a lot. He didn’t show much of anything in his first year in Storrs. That’s not to say that he won’t succeed elsewhere, but there’s no known production that the team is losing.
Ahmad Nowell - Nowell played a little more than 3X the number of minutes that Abraham played, serving as the team’s third best point guard. With Hassan Diarra hurt and Aidan Mahaney playing poorly, there could have been an opportunity for him to step up. However, he got injured at unfortunate times, closing the door on him making an impact. He was the No. 28 recruit this past year and will be highly coveted by those who still believe in his potential.
What it means - Again, not a ton. Coach Dan Hurley has lamented the team’s lack of big guards (think Tristen Newton and Steph Castle), a mold that Nowell doesn’t fit. Expect them to hit the portal hard for a Newton-like big PG, while Nowell gets the chance to start over at a place where there’s room for him.
TRANSFER CANDIDATES
Jaylin Stewart - Stewart has constantly been given the chances to shine, but hasn’t put the pieces together when called upon. He’d often score in bunches–10-15 at a time every few games–and failed to put forth a complete game. Stewart ended up averaging just 5.4 points in 17 minutes, nothing special. If Karaban and McNeeley leave, there is certainly room for him to expand his role. But he needs to step his game up.
Prediction: STAY - Much of what Stewart hasn’t done is largely up to him, versus chances he hasn’t gotten. As such it seems more likely that he tries at least one more time. He’s so talented and if he can maximize that, then he could easily start next year.
UPDATE: STAY
Jayden Ross - Ross was pretty buried on the bench for much of the year, averaging just 11 minutes per game. In the preseason he was talked about as the greatest thing since sliced bread, but we never saw that in games. Hurley lamented the lack of minutes Ross ended up getting at times, but that didn’t really translate into more playing time. If he is as good as he was discussed as being, he could be a starter next year. It’s unclear what he thinks of the situation though, whether he believes this team is the best place to grow his skills.
Prediction: LEAVE - This one feels very 50/50, but with the discrepancy of the way Hurley talked him up to his floor production, I’m leaning towards him leaving.
Aidan Mahaney - Mahaney had a disaster year. He struggled in every phase of the season, and every time he seemed to begin to turn a corner, he went right back to where he was.
Prediction: LEAVE - Mahaney deserves a fresh start. He’s a great player who kept snowballing in the wrong direction. It’ll be best if he can start somewhere new and get back to the player he was before he came to Storrs.
UPDATE: TRANSFER
SHOULD STAY
Solo Ball - Ball had a career year, getting on the Big East Second team while leading the Huskies in scoring. He had his issues on defense, but started to fix them as the year came to a close. There’s no reason why he should leave. He’s a potential NBA guy at some point and was a star of this year’s team. There are others who have reasons to leave whether it be playing time or something else, but Ball knows his role and it’s big. If he transfers, there’s something seriously wrong; he projects to be a centerpiece of next year’s Huskies.
Tarris Reed Jr. - Like Ball, there’s no good reason for Reed Jr. to transfer, despite the rumors that he will. Serving as the “backup” to Samson Johnson this year, he actually was the center with the most minutes. He’s almost certainly the starting center this year if he stays and has shown flashes of what he can do, notably with his 24-18-6 game versus Providence. Him and incoming freshman Eric Reibe will be a force to be reckoned with assuming both come/stay. Neither have a good reason to jump ship.
NBA POTENTIALS
Liam McNeeley - McNeeley had an up and down season, with 38 points at Creighton (right after coming back from injury) being a high, and most of his games since being considerably lower. He’s done enough that he remains a borderline-lottery pick in the upcoming NBA draft. Anyone with that type of draft stock should absolutely leave, which is what McNeeley will likely do.
Prediction: LEAVE
UPDATE: LEAVE
Alex Karaban - Karaban has another choice on his hands, potentially going to the NBA draft as a late first rounder/ early second rounder or staying for another year in Connecticut. He slumped hard during the middle of the season and didn’t look like the Karaban that fans grew to love during the two championship runs. There was a lot on his shoulders and while he lived up to it sometimes, a lot of the time he came up short.
Prediction: STAY - This is another 50/50, but it seems more likely that he doesn’t want to end his time in Storrs with such a disappointing season. Especially after the highs he reached. It could go either way, but I think he probably stays for a redemption year.
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