Senior forward Alex Karaban announced his return to UConn on Tuesday via Instagram, meaning the Huskies – and, perhaps more importantly, Dan Hurley and staff – keep a team leader and experienced, proven winner on the wing for the 2025-26 season.
Karaban’s return works in conjunction with the additions of Silas Demary Jr. and Malachi Smith via the transfer portal, as well as the recruitment of four-star freshman Braylon Mullins. Mullins projects to start on the opposite wing, forming multi-faced scoring nucleus in the backcourt.
The menacing frontcourt rotation of Tarris Reed Jr. and Eric Reibe will look to bolster Connecticut’s glass attack and contend with the terrific down-low duos being built at both St. John’s (Ejiofor and Hopkins) and Creighton (McAndrew and Freeman).
And still, the construction of this UConn roster isn’t finished. Hurley and staff still have plenty of room to work with to put together the remainder of the depth chart, with only 10 players currently rostered.
But where does Karaban’s return put the Huskies in the preseason AP Top 25 Poll, and how much variance should you expect from UConn in the rankings as the off season progresses?
Despite the return of Karaban, UConn likely won’t jump Purdue or Houston at the top of the “way too early” top 25 rankings.
The Boilermakers return three starters – one of which being the early favorite for national player of the year in Braden Smith – and added Oscar Cluff from South Dakota State via the transfer portal. The combination of roster continuity and talent easily pits Purdue as the team to beat ahead of Matt Painter’s 20th season at the helm in West Lafayette.
Houston, fresh off the heels of a demoralizing National Championship game loss, also returns a bevy of talent on top of one of the top recruiting classes in the country, complete with five-star Chris Cenac Jr.
Depending on how voters view the roster overhauls happening in Queens, Ann Arbor and Durham, the Huskies have a ceiling as high as No. 3 and a floor as low as No. 10.
St. John’s lost all of its major contributors from this past season apart from Zuby Ejiofor before Rick Pitino rebuilt the entire roster seemingly overnight – capped off with the transfer in of former five-star Ian Jackson from North Carolina.
Michigan retooled its starting lineup after a Sweet 16 loss in Dusty May’s first season at the helm, grabbing Morez Johnson Jr. from Illinois and Elliot Cadeau from North Carolina to surround top-rated transfer Yaxel Lendeborg down low.
Duke’s unnerving retention of talent from the bench of its Final four team from a year ago will catch the eyes of voters, especially as it compliments another star-studded recruiting class for Jon Scheyer.
The NIL factory being built in Provo will put BYU in nearly every top 10 preseason conversation there is, and Louisville’s talent acquisition this off season has been meteoric for second year head coach Pat Kelsey.
Oh, and don’t forget the defending national champions, who return nearly the entire frontcourt from a top five rebounding team last season and are now piloted by Xavian Lee at the point.
The point is that the top of the rankings will be uber-competitive and extremely subjective ahead of next season – much like every other off season.
My guess: Connecticut will fit comfortably into the 5-8 range, with a ceiling of No. 3 and a floor of No. 10.
Obviously, players are still finding their way out of the portal and onto top squads each day, so these rankings are subject to change. As of today though, I would slide the Huskies into the No. 6 spot, behind Purdue, Houston, Duke, BYU and St. John’s – in that order – making them an early Final Four contender.
