Seven men’s basketball players left the University of Connecticut this off season, some for greener pastures of colleges afar, others to chase stardom at the NBA Combine and some for graduation, exhausting their eligibility.

Nonetheless, the UConn men’s basketball roster will look different from a rotational perspective than it did last season. Gone is leading scorer Liam McNeeley, the leader in the backcourt in Hassan Diarra and the uber-reliable Samson Johnson.

Replacing them is a slew of transfers, a handful of highly coveted freshmen and a concoction of returners eyeing a jump from last season.

But how will the rotation shake out in Storrs? There is so much variation that comes with a college basketball roster – injuries, slumps and most recently, holdouts and transfers – that even with the entire summer and fall camps to go, taking a jab at how the rotation will play out never appears to be too early.

As of late May, four starting spots have been solidified by returners from last season or highly touted portal gets. The fifth starter – the second wing player – is still to be determined, with a position battle between blue-chip freshman Braylon Mullins and veteran Jaylin Stewart likely to take place during the summer and into fall camp.

Here’s a look at the projected starting lineup as of May 28:

G: Silas Demary Jr.

G: Solo Ball

F: Braylon Mullins/Jaylin Stewart

F: Alex Karaban

C: Tarris Reed Jr.

That’s two starters back from 2024-25, and with Stewart in contention for a starting role, the Huskies could roll out a starting lineup comprised of four players who saw meaningful minutes last season.

The Mullins versus Stewart race will be a positional battle to keep an eye on. It would not be surprising to see Hurley give the early edge to Stewart due to his loyalty to the program, much like he did with Samson Johnson last season when he battled Reed for the starting center position, but Mullins’ raw talent is undeniable and will inevitably get him on the court.

The point guard spot is the only other factor differentiating next season’s starting lineup from lasts. Demary committed to the Huskies in early April after spending two seasons under Mike White at Georgia, with the true sophomore seeing an increase in points, rebounds, assists and steals in year two while playing a team-leading 1,039 minutes.

Ball, Karaban and Reed make up the other three starting spots. With a combined 69 starts and 2,981 minutes played between the three last season, Connecticut’s returning scoring core will be built on a bedrock of experience in 2025-26.

Hurley and his staff rebuilt the roster’s depth with four additional transfer portal signings after Demary committed to become the starting point guard.

Dayton transfer guard Malachi Smith looks to become an integral part of the rotation at the point, pairing nicely alongside the loser of the Stewart/Mullins battle as the first two off the bench. Smith’s hardy playstyle centers around finding open looks from deep and slicing through the lane as a driver, making him an excellent “spark plug” candidate for Hurley off the bench.

The only other returner from 2024-25 that is slated to come off the bench is forward Jayden Ross. Ross will enter his junior campaign with one start and 56 game appearances through two seasons in Storrs, averaging 1.7 points, 1.2 rebounds and 0.6 assists per game for his career.

The remaining six players are all brand new to the program. Three freshmen (Eric Reibe, Jacob Furphy and Jacob Ross) and two transfers (Dwayne Koroma and Alec Millender) round out the roster.

Five of those six names can play somewhere in the frontcourt if needed (Millender is primarily a point guard). The towering seven foot frame of Reibe will strengthen the Huskies’ “rip it off the rim” mentality, with Koroma sporting experience at center in small-ball situations.

The number of these guys who will see the court will depend on how tight of a rotation Hurley wants to use, with a ceiling of ten players and a floor of eight both being possibilities.

Aside from the Mullins/Stewart race, there are a handful of other positional battles to keep an eye on. How much will Reibe push Reed for minutes down low? Will Furphy force his way into the rotation in year one, and can he push past Jayden Ross off the bench? Will Karaban play primarily at the four, or will Hurley experiment more with the senior leader as a small forward?