College basketball, although recently led astray by the rapid development of the transfer portal, is at its core predicated on player development and progression over the course of a player's career. Recruits are swayed into committing to a university with goals of evolving as a player to better prepare themselves for the next level.
Dan Hurley has showcased his ability to develop talent throughout his tenure in Storrs, most recently graduating homegrown center Samson Johnson as a two-time national champion. Johnson elevated from 1.7 to 7.5 points per game and earned a starting role as a senior, appearing in 74 games across his final two seasons with the program.
Hurley will enter 2025 with a relatively new group of players, snagging five transfers to pair alongside a four-person recruiting class. That begs the question: who is next in the developmental line after Johnson?
The good news is, there are options to choose from (which can’t be said for every team); the Huskies return four players from 2024-25 who have spent their entire career with the team. Two of them, Alex Karaban and Solo Ball, are slated to start and combined to average 28.7 points per game last season.
The bad news is, there aren’t too many options to choose from; the entire 2024 recruiting class is no longer with the program, snatched away by the transfer portal or the NBA Draft.
With Karaban solidifying himself as a Connecticut legend with 111 game appearances and two national championships, a “breakout” isn’t quite as likely in 2025-26. Likewise, Solo Ball became the Huskies’ trigger man from behind the arc in 2024-25, eclipsing 20 points on six different occasions, which included a 7/9 avalanche from three against Marquette.
That leaves two – a pair of junior forwards from the same recruiting class anticipated to step into bigger roles in 2025-26; Jayden Ross and Jaylin Stewart.
Stewart’s breakout seems to be imminent. The true junior appeared in all 35 games last season as a sophomore, scoring double-digit points in seven of them, with a season’s best of 16 points, seven rebounds and three assists coming against Maryland Eastern Shore in late November.
Stewart excelled as a flamethrowing wing off the bench, knocking down 36.4% of his three pointers and ranking 141st in the nation in offensive rating on KenPom with a mark of 123. Stewart also recorded a true shooting percentage of 64.8, placing him in the 91st percentile nationally according to CBB Analytics.
Stewart’s lanky frame and height as a small forward gives the third-year veteran a significant advantage on the wing over smaller forwards. At 6-foor-7, Stewart acts more the part of a shooting guard than a traditional wing, routinely stepping outside to knock down a corner three when not driving through the lane en route to the rim.
Stewart attempted four or less field goals in 24 of the team’s 35 games last season, and with a larger share of minutes could bump up his averages noticeably considering the team’s offensive flow.
His recruiting class running mate and fellow 6-foot-7 forward Jayden Ross should also be considered as a potential breakout candidate.
Hurley sung Ross’ praises before the start of last season and stated in late February that he was “disappointed” by how little he used Ross throughout the final stretch of the regular season.
The now third-year wing appeared in 33 of the team’s 35 games, notching a season high of 14 points against New Hampshire while being used primarily as a defender as a part of the Huskies’ full court press.
Ross’ offensive stagnation held him back during his sophomore campaign, but the true junior is electric around the rim and finds opportunities on the defensive end when in.
While the scoring numbers may not jump off the stat sheet, expect Ross’ impact on the floor to carry much more weight than it did in 2024-25, especially as a vocal leader off the bench.
