5/24/2024 basketball Edit

UConn Hoops: Reviewing the Huskies’ 12 scholarship players for next season

Stratton Stave • UConnReport

Staff Writer

As we exit the craziness that was the transfer portal, it seems that coach Dan Hurley and his UConn men’s basketball Huskies have their roster. The biggest question at this point is the decision of Alex Karaban–to stay or go to the NBA–and even if he does depart, the Huskies are a strong team. They lost very little to the portal and replaced NBA hopefuls with freshman and transfer talent.

With their quest for a three-peat beginning, I’m offering 100 or fewer words on each of their 12 scholarship players for the 2024-25 campaign. There are four tiers that I’ll place players in, each based on the role that the players will have ahead of the season. The first is the Question Mark tier, comprised solely of Karaban. If he stays, he’ll be a star, but the general assumption we’re making is that he’s departing, especially given his strong draft combine. The second tier is the Projected Starters, or the five players who I think will start on day one, again assuming Karaban is gone. Next is Potential Starters/ Front of the Bench, made of the Huskies that will be competing for starting minutes and will likely have consistent roles, even if they don’t start. The final category is the Role Players/ Bench, or players who will be at the back of the rotation and will need big summers/extenuating circumstances to have big roles. Players are listed by last name alphabetical order within each tier.

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QUESTION MARK

Alex Karaban – Karaban has been a starter for all but one game during his two year career and has a pair of national championships to show for it. Though he’s had plenty of team success, his individual performance hasn’t been incredible. He’s consistently been a third to fifth option on the best team in the country, which is still very good. If Karaban elects to return, he will have the chance to be an All-America level player with his wealth of experience and lack of returning production. If not, then he’ll be remembered as a key–but not star–player on great teams.

PROJECTED STARTERS

Solomon Ball – The first debate in the starting lineup comes early, with Ball earning a projected start over Saint Mary’s transfer Aidan Mahaney. When future lottery pick Stephon Castle was injured, Ball had a solid run with a few excellent efforts–namely 13 points on 8 shots against No. 9 UNC. Afterwards, the door for opportunity closed on him, not to his fault. He’s been a capable performer when given the chance, and a year of practice against championship talent should ready him for the bright lights.

Hassan Diarra – Diarra is entering his third and final year in Storrs, as a graduate student who has found himself in several different roles. After seeing his minutes decline into the 2023 championship run, he was the sixth man on this year’s title team. There’s no point guard on the roster with a better argument for the starting spot–and Diarra is ready to take the next jump. He had a number of games where he stepped up to take the Huskies out of a rut or push them ahead for good, having much more of an impact than his 6 PPG indicates.

Samson Johnson – Often paired with Diarra when checking into games, Johnson took a great leap this past year from a benchwarmer to a key bench piece. Once touted as having “wall potential” (UConn’s wall of lottery picks in their practice facility), this year will be Johnson’s big chance to be the go-to center. He was very good in bench minutes (16 MPG) in this year’s run, but will need to avoid foul trouble if he wants to become a reliable starter. As of now, he’s slated to split minutes with Michigan transfer Tarris Reed Jr..

Liam McNeeley – A late addition to the 2024 recruiting class after flipping commitment to Indiana, McNeeley brings a level of prestige that is relatively rare, even for the six-time national champions. He’s a player who could function at a similar level to Karaban, but from day one. The possibility of Karaban leaving was what made McNeeley such a must-add for the Huskies and creates a legitimate possibility for a three-peat. He’s an elite shooter–potentially the best in the class–and has a great frame. The McDonald’s All-American brings the key freshman talent that UConn enjoyed with Castle last year.

Jaylin Stewart – Maybe one of the biggest uncertainties next year, there’s hope for Stewart to become one of the best players on the team–and the conference–next year. His minutes were heavily limited this past campaign, but when he was in, he looked incredible. His 2.5 points per game in 9 minutes of action don’t tell the story, but perhaps more telling was his 17 points across the Big East Tournament semis and finals on just 8 shots. He’s a hooper with size and defensive potential and will likely make a huge jump.

POTENTIAL STARTERS/ FRONT OF BENCH

Aidan Mahaney – As noted, Mahaney vs. Ball appears to be the biggest question mark in the starting five. The 2X first-team All-WCC selection will need to learn the UConn system, but was great at Saint Mary’s. He brings a well-rounded set of skills to the team, not amazing at anything, but also not bogged down by anything. His shooting splits worsened as his volume increased this year, but fans can expect him to improve there as Hurley gets him better looks. Mahaney is good enough to start, but figures to be a sixth-man until otherwise indicated.

Ahmad Nowell – The signature piece of the 2024 class until McNeeley signed, Nowell is a pure point guard with great pedigree. He doesn’t have the size that a Tristen Newton or Stephon Castle had, but he’s got a solid base and a Jalen Brunson-esque stockiness. Nowell has all the tools to become the next great UConn guard someday with his shotmaking and passing, but in all likelihood, he’ll have to wait a year or two. Diarra is the main option at point, with Nowell probably commanding time off the bench.

Tarris Reed Jr. – Reed was stuck at Michigan for a pair of years under the downfall of Juwan Howard, which is probably creates an unfair assessment of his talent. He came into the class ranked just in front of Donovan Clingan, and while he might not be better than the Husky legend, odds are, he’s better than what he’s shown as a Wolverine. Reed figures to split time at the center spot with Johnson, bringing a more back to the basket approach to Johnson’s rim running. The fire and ice here will be similar to what Hurley has had at the position recently.

ROLE PLAYERS/ BENCH

Isaiah Abraham – Abraham being in this slot isn’t a knock on his talent, he’s just young and a bit of an unknown commodity. His shooting has improved since he committed to Hurley, but it’s unclear how he fits in the team this year. This isn’t to say he won’t fit, but with a relatively similar player like sophomore Jayden Ross in the fold (see below) and a ton of other players requiring minutes, this could be a year to just get better in practice. We’ll see what he brings when the time comes, but I wouldn’t bring too many expectations early.

Jayden Ross – Ross is entering his second year after serving as a nonfactor last year. A versatile wing with endless athleticism, Ross could help the Huskies out in a number of ways. He’s a former high-level recruit who has been practicing with the champions and learning Hurley’s system for the past year. If a final spot comes between him and Abraham, I’d bet on Ross to win out given his experience working out with the team. There’s little reason why he can’t bring a spark off the bench and show flashes of potential that demonstrate he can be a future leader.

Youssouf Singare – Singare is the only player in this section who played any real minutes (6 against St. John’s), though he’s simultaneously the one who is least likely to have a role if everyone stays healthy. Hurley has been pretty set on keeping a dual-center look these past few seasons and he’s not threatening to knock off either of Reed Jr. or Johnson. Maybe he could be in a position to compete for the backup role next year when Johnson graduates, but we’ll revisit that then.