STORRS, Conn. - It might have been a return to normal for UConn men’s basketball last season in terms of being back in the proper conference. However, COVID-19 made it hard for the Huskies to truly enjoy the Big East experience.
Things are a little bit different around campus this June as a sense of normal returns to the world, as head coach Dan Hurley met with the media in person for the first time since before the pandemic.
“It’s awesome,” Hurley said. “Getting a hug from Akok (Akok) and a handshake - I mean it’s been fist bumps and awkward social distancing, so it feels good.” Akok was out with an injury but Hurley said the big man looks good and is expected to be 100% for the season.
The Huskies head into summer workouts with everyone in the program either fully vaccinated or in the final stages of being finished.
All the returning players - including fifth-year seniors Tyler Polley and Isaiah Whaley - are on campus along with the three top-100 freshmen from the 2021 Class: guards Jordan Hawkins (45th ranked) and Rahsool Diggins (46th) along with 6-10 Samson Johnson (77th).
“It almost feels like with the amount of kids visiting campus, the recruiting on the road, and the practice calendar we are condensing the 18 months that we’ve been functioning (through the pandemic) into two months in June and July,” Hurley said.
Hurley and his staff have been on the road visiting players since June 1 and welcomed their first recruits on campus in over a year this week.
“We were lucky in the (2021) class in that we got a chance to see Rahsool, Jordan, and Samson a fair amount before the COVID shut everything down in March,” Hurley said. “But the (2022) class with the exception of maybe a player or two, we hadn’t seen a lot of the 22s or any of the 23s.
“Being able to get out in June and July and see those upcoming classes is huge for us.”
On Wednesday, 2023 point guard Jayden Lemond and Isaiah Miranda made unofficial visits. Then on Thursday 2022 targets Donovan Clingan and T.J. Power along with 2023 targets Taylor Bol Bowen and Reid Ducharme stopped in.
Clingan, from in-state Bristol Central, already holds an offer from the Huskies and is the 44th-ranked player in Class of 2022. He is scheduled to make an official visit July 1-2 to UConn, but will make trips to Michigan, Syracuse, and Ohio State prior to it.
The other visiting players all picked up offers from the Huskies.
2022 forward Ty Rodgers (82nd) was also scheduled to take an official visit to UConn.
“What we have done up until the (2021) class has put us in a great spot, but to be competing for championships at the level we want to we have to keep stacking top recruiting classes,” Hurley said.
NOTES
Hurley said the players are practicing four days a week while taking summer classes. … Gavin Roberts, who joined the staff as director of sports performance in May after Mike Rehfeldt left for Cincinnati, is fitting in well. “He’s doing a great job building on what Mike did here,” Hurley said. … Akok, who is returning from a January 2019 tear to his Achilles’ tendon, is looking back to form after trying to come back early last season. “Akok looks like he’s got the same look he had when he got here,” Hurley said. “He’s a player on a mission.” …. Walk-on Matt Garry is making progress in his return from a knee injury he suffered last November. … Hurley also noted new assistant Luke Murray has been blending well with the players. “The first conversation you just get a sense of his expertise and understanding and talent as a coach,” Hurley said. “Just his basketball mind and his feel for young people … it hits you right away.”
