We’re getting into late May and the dust is starting to settle on roster construction around college basketball. The portal has been closed for a few weeks and there’s increasing clarity on what each team is going to look like. The main remaining decisions are being made by those who entered the portal and the draft, but ended up returning to college, along with lower-level transfers.
The Huskies may see a few other transfers trickle in over the next few weeks, but don’t expect any to be high-impact players. UConn has their core 10 ready to go, but likely won’t play more than nine assuming no injuries. Over the next few weeks, I’ll be going through the freshmen, juniors and seniors (UConn has no sophomores) and discussing what each player brings and their likely role. Let’s get into the freshmen.
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BRAYLON MULLINS
Largely regarded as the crown jewel of the Huskies’ 2025 recruiting class, the McDonald’s All-American has the goods. Mullins is a complete shooting guard with great size (6-foot-5). He can score at all three levels with ease, but is an especially strong shooter. Mullins’ range will be incredibly helpful for Connecticut from a spacing standpoint, forcing defenders to respect his smooth jumper. This pairs well with a lineup that has great potential to hurt teams from beyond the arc, featuring proven sharpshooter Solo Ball and Alex Karaban, who shot the ball less well last year but can bounce back.
The top-30 recruit also has a strong interior game, with the occasional slam and a decent layup package. His length will allow him to be a good defender, but he’ll need to put on some weight upon coming to Storrs. That part of his game might take a little longer to translate.
Pretty much every year that Dan Hurley has coached the Huskies, he’s featured a freshman in the starting five. There’s no better candidate than Mullins, but he’ll have a stiff challenge in Jaylin Stewart. Stewart has struggled to find consistency, so his two years of college experience will be pitted against Mullins strong raw talent and complete game. It’s tough to know who will win out as we stand here in May, but I’d bet on Mullins. Hurley might like to have Stewart come off the bench, especially given his excellence as a sparkplug.
ERIC REIBE
Reibe is the clear No. 2 in the freshman class, and his role will reflect that this year. He potentially has as complete an offensive game as any freshman big that’s ever come into Storrs, but needs work on the other end of the floor. He’s a proven shooter–which could open up a unique 5-out lineup when he’s out there–and is a threat to finish lobs too. You can think of Reibe like a Donovan Clingan with more offensive talent but less on the defensive side. What Clingan has on Reibe from a shot-blocking perspective, Reibe makes up for as a shooter.
He’s a 7-footer with great feel for the flow and passing and will surely start his sophomore year. But that’s next year. This year he’ll play behind Tarris Reed Jr., the Huskies 2024 backup who played more minutes than starter Samson Johnson. Getting to play ~15 minutes per game and practice with Reed Jr. will be invaluable for Reibe’s long-term success, putting him in a lower-pressure situation this year before he’s thrown further into the fire next year. The Clingan-comparison is very fair from a role standpoint too, so if you’re curious about what his minutes are going to look like, that’s the best comp to look at.
JACOB FURPHY
The Tasmanian comes to UConn as the latest international addition–and it’s unclear exactly what he’ll bring. He’s played with grown men for the past few years in Australia, which often aids players in their transition to the college game. Even if it’s not the highest level of professional play, the physicality of the game is a huge help compared to high school. Luke Murray told CTInsider that Furphy reminds him of Cam Spencer from an IQ standpoint and there seems to be a consensus that he’s the type of player that helps teams beyond his athleticism.
Furphy is one of the biggest wildcards for the Huskies this season, presumably the 10th player in the rotation. That puts him in a spot where he likely won’t get minutes this year unless there are any injuries. If there are injuries, Furphy will be the most likely Husky to get increased run. This is all speculative though, since it’s unknown how Furphy stacks up to the others with his comparatively unique path to Connecticut. What is known, is that there are other players who are definitively ahead of him on the depth chart and were likely promised roles to transfer to UConn/stay. He’d have to be much more talented than those players to overcome that.
JACOB ROSS
Jacob, the brother of Jayden, is unlikely to get much playing time this year. He was recruited late as a depth piece for the Huskies and to improve in practice throughout the year. Nobody quite knows if Connecticut sees him as a long-term option to be an impact player or if he’s filling in as a backup/practice player before transferring down to a mid-major.
He’s a borderline 3-4 star, a role that is tough to make it in at UConn. The last player with that ranking who came to UConn from high school and had an impact was Tyler Polley, who Rivals ranked outside the top 100 in 2017. He was recruited by Kevin Ollie. Other players in this recruiting range that Hurley has brought in have either made a small impact or transferred out. We likely won’t know Ross’ fate for another year or two, unless he makes a seriously unexpected impact this year.
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