Huskies Open 2025-26 Season On Monday At Gampel

STORRS – The No. 4 UConn males’s basketball group kicks off the 2025-26 season on Monday night time when it welcomes New Haven to Gampel Pavilion. The contest marks the start of the 123^rd season within the historical past of this system and the eighth season with Dan Hurley on the helm of the six-time nationwide champions. UConn is using a streak of five-straight NCAA Tournament appearances and is ranked within the preseason Top-10 for the third-consecutive season.

UConn is coming off a profitable exhibition slate, topping Boston College on Oct. 13 at Mohegan Sun, 71-52, and knocking off No. 22 Michigan State by a rating of 77-69 on Oct. 28 in Hartford. Connecticut will face one of many fiercest non-league slates within the nation in ’25-26, set to tackle six high-major foes together with 5 within the Preseason AP Top 25.

The Huskies will mix a core group of 5 returners with a complete of 10 newcomers this season. UConn returns practically 60 p.c of its scoring from a season in the past, together with three of its prime 4 scorers in Preseason First Team All-BIG EAST picks Solo Ball, Alex Karaban and Tarris Reed Jr.

Karaban, a starter on the 2023 and 2024 nationwide champion groups, is the headliner amongst the 5 returners and is an All-America candidate forward of his redshirt senior season. He was just lately named to each the NABC Player of the Year and Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Award watch lists. Karaban is coming off career-highs throughout the board after averaging 14.3 factors, 5.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.5 blocks per sport in 2024-25.

Ball scored 14.4 factors per sport final season in a breakout sophomore marketing campaign, whereas establishing himself as one of many nation’s premier 3-point capturing threats and hitting on a 41.4 p.c clip from downtown. In addition to his Preseason All-Conference honors, he was just lately named a Third Team Preseason All-American by CBS’ Jon Rothstein and was a member of the Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Award watch record.  Reed Jr. is coming off his first season in Storrs, the place he turned one of many nation’s elite rebounders en path to the BIG EAST Sixth Man of the Year Award. He averaged 9.6 factors and seven.3 rebounds in 19.9 minutes per sport, capturing 67.0 p.c from the ground and rating top-12 nationally in each offensive and defensive rebounding share. The huge man was just lately named to the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award watch record.

The junior duo of Jayden Ross and Jaylin Stewart on the wing spherical out UConn’s 5 returners. Both have been members of the 2024 nationwide title group and are presently of their third season with this system, arriving with Ball forward of 2023-24. Stewart made 12 spot begins final yr and recorded seven double-figure scoring video games. Ross impressed in UConn’s final exhibition vs. MSU, scoring 13 factors and hitting a pair of 3-pointers off the bench.

UConn’s 10 returners are headlined by a trio of newcomers on the level guard spot. Silas Demary Jr. spent two years at Georgia earlier than matriculating at UConn, averaging over 13 factors per sport final season after an SEC All-Freshman marketing campaign in 2023-24. Demary Jr. just lately nabbed a spot on the Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award watch record forward of his junior season.  Malachi Smith involves UConn following 4 years at Dayton. He averaged 10.4 factors and 5.3 assists per sport for the Flyers in ’24-25 and is a 38.8 p.c profession 3-point shooter. Alec Millender additional fortifies the spot, set to spend his last yr of eligibility after enjoying at IU Indy a season in the past.

UConn’s incoming class features a pair of McDonald’s All-American’s in Braylon Mullins and Eric Reibe, each of whom count on to right away contribute. Mullins bought the beginning and scored 12 factors towards Boston College and was just lately named to the Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year watch record. Reibe began each exhibitions and is coming off a profitable run on the FIBA U19 World Cup this summer time, serving to Germany to a silver medal and averaging over 15 factors per sport. Also new are worldwide prospects Rrezon Elezaj and Jacob Furphy together with Jacob Ross, youthful brother of Jayden and a three-star prospect. Dwayne Koroma joins UConn to fortify the frontcourt after spending 2024-25 at Le Moyne, the place he was a double-figure scorer.

The Chargers of New Haven are making their Division 1 debut on Monday night time. New Haven joined the NEC efficient instantly over the summer time. The Chargers are coming off a 12-17 season within the Northeast-10 and are led by head coach Ted Hotaling, starting his 15^th season.

Following Monday night time’s house opener, the Huskies will tackle UMass Lowell at PeoplesBank Arena in Hartford on Friday, Nov. 7.