UConn Hoops scholarship player review

With the recent commitment of Cam Spencer from Rutgers, the UConn men’s basketball team roster appears to be complete. They are now up to 12 scholarship players and coach Dan Hurley indicated that he intends to leave a spot open. Last year the team filled all 13 slots, but a few who didn’t get minutes transferred down. That can help for practicing purposes, but ultimately filling scholarships just to fill them isn’t necessary. This final roster has a lot to like. There are a few experienced guards, a very talented freshman class and some other returnees that have a lot to prove. It’s to be seen if this will be a team that repeats, but it’s clear that if they do, it’ll be a very different team. Who’s on it though? Let’s review all the different pieces.

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Newton was the starting point guard on last year’s national championship team, so he knows a thing or two about how to win at the highest level. He shared the lead guard duties with projected first rounder Andre Jackson Jr and will likely have to do so again with incoming freshman Stephon Castle. His skillset is perfect for the role though, as he can score at all three levels and facilitate the offense, as illustrated through his two triple doubles last season. He’s going to need to be more of a leader as the most veteran player with Jackson gone, but he’s ready for the challenge.

Karaban is the other returning starter from the title squad, having started all but one game as a Husky. He brings a quiet offensive game and has a knack for big shots, most notably his halftime buzzer-beater in the Final Four. He was the fourth highest scorer on Connecticut last year and brought an unusually mature mindset for a freshman. His defense was his biggest piece of development over the season though. After getting destroyed by opposing power forwards in the beginning of the Big East season, he posted solid defensive outings the next time around. His growth through his first year is encouraging and he’s poised to have an even bigger sophomore season, both on and off the court.

Perhaps the biggest question on the entire team is what the production of Clingan will look like. He played a mere 13 minutes a night last season, but was among the most efficient players in the nation when he was on the floor. It will be tough for the CT native to double his numbers in roughly double the minutes, however it’s not out of the question that he’d average a double double in some capacity. Clingan has everything it takes, but will be a main focus for opposing defenses as he looks to cement his position as a lottery pick a year from now.

Every box that Hurley was looking to fill going into the summer was checked off when Spencer committed last week. He’s a phenomenal shooter and fills the void that Jordan Hawkins and Joey Calcaterra are leaving open. He demonstrated a great deal of swagger and maturity as a top player on Rutgers last year and will likely slot in as a 3-point specialist. Hurley likes to run his shooters a lot of off-ball action and has them fire without hesitation in transition, so expect Spencer in that role. His leadership will also be massive as a Husky on a team that has many young pieces.

Castle is heralded as one of the best recruits in UConn history and he’s set to be the only freshman in the starting five. He possesses a similar skillset to Newton and the two will be sharing the duties at point. There’s a large likelihood that Castle will end up one and done, which would ultimately be great for the program. Although few of Hurley’s UConn players have had success in the NBA yet, he’s proven the ability to get them drafted (James Bouknight and Tyrese Martin), a testament to developmental abilities. Getting Castle into the top 10 on draft night would encourage other players of a similar caliber to come to Storrs too, which would be a big win.

Diarra was a solid bench piece for the Huskies during the regular season last year, but ultimately saw his minutes disappear down the stretch. With all the new guard talent, it’s hard to assess how much he’ll be asked to do. For every player that he was behind last year, there seems to be a replacement. What Diarra does offer is a lot of defensive energy and a gritty attitude. He can hit big shots when asked to do so, but it’s unclear how often those chances will come for him in his second year in Connecticut.

Ranked No. 61 in Rivals latest rankings, Ball is shaping up to be the second best freshman in the class. He has a great wingspan and plays with a lot of hustle. Before Spencer committed, Ball looked primed to compete for a starting spot, but barring injuries, it’s looking like he’s a sixth man at best. As a freshman, it’s likely that he’ll have his ups and downs, but he’s talented enough to be a top bench option for a championship-level team. He’ll certainly bring a lot of energy and has the chance to be one of the better shooters in the lineup.

Stewart is one of the more versatile forwards UConn has recruited since Jackson and he’s going to compete with Ball for the sixth man slot. He has a lot of muscle and knows how to use his size, something that will help him from day one. He appears to be fairly underrated, playing similar to Jayson Tatum, although lacking his height. Stewart will likely command backup minutes in the wing spot, partially behind Spencer and Karaban.

Ross looked to be fairly unpolished when he committed to UConn alongside former AAU and HS teammate Ball, but in the year since, he’s really grown. He now plays with much better range, able to hit threes at a better clip and his movements look a lot smoother. Previously, it was thought that Ross wouldn’t see the floor for at least a year, but at the pace he’s improving, he’s going to compete for minutes and put pressure on those at the end of the rotation if not.

Every year, fans and media have been told that Johnson has potential to be a lottery pick, but so far that’s just been smoke and mirrors. In his two year career he has just 115 minutes to go along with 33 points. Granted, he suffered an injury that opened the door for Karaban to take all of his PF minutes in the 2022 opener, but if he was as good as people suggest he may be, he would have overcome the freshman once healthy. He’ll have a chance to play some key backup minutes this year, but one has to assume at this point that this will be another quiet year unless proven otherwise.

Singare has been the most under the radar freshman by far and is also the lowest ranked. He’s drawn comparisons to former UConn Husky Amida Brimah thanks to his height and shot blocking abilities. If Hurley runs a 10 man rotation, it looks likely that Singare would play 10-15 minutes a game in the same role that Clingan was in last season. It’s also entirely possible that Hurley moves Johnson to the backup C and Singare is left out of the rotation this year altogether.

Roumoglou is the owner of six collegiate points, seven rebounds and a championship trophy. He played fewer minutes last season than either Hawkins or Jackson did per game, so there’s a large question mark as to how good he is. There’s plenty of talented players on the roster this year and not a ton of room for playing time. It’s a reasonably safe bet to assume that Roumoglou won’t see the floor unless Connecticut is up big.

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