UConn men’s basketball had two preseason games – victories against Boston College and Michigan State – to prepare for the season opener on Monday.

And the game against New Haven at Gampel Pavilion in Storrs, Conn., is merely a continuation of what the No. 4 Huskies have been working on, head coach Dan Hurley said.

“Just go out there and play with force, physicality without fouling, the defense, the rebounding, offensive execution, shot selection, ball security, everyone giving you something, the running game, the transition defense, but an assertiveness,” he said. “This is Game Three for us.”

Hurley said he’ll be looking for improvement in the basics as the Huskies begin the march toward their goal of a third national championship in four seasons.

But for New Haven, the moment will be completely new.

It’s the first game at the Division I level for UConn’s in-state neighbor, moving to the Northeast Conference from Division II, where it landed in five NCAA Tournaments in the past dozen years. Head coach Ted Hotaling said the school’s goal was to put together a strong schedule, which the Chargers succeeded in doing.

“UConn is the standard in our state both in men’s and women’s basketball,” Hotaling said, per the New Haven Register. “They have had great coaches and unbelievable players, and they run great programs. Across the country UConn is synonymous with excellence in basketball.

“I felt there was no better way to start our Division I journey than by playing one of the best teams in the country that is right up the road. I know our players are excited. I know the people in our school are excited. I know our alums are excited. It is why you go Division I. You want to play the best of the best.”

The Chargers also will meet Boston College, Fordham, Penn State, Seton Hall and Vanderbilt in nonconference play.

They won’t be seeing the full UConn roster. Freshmen guards Braylon Mullins and Jacob Furphy are out with ankle injuries. Senior center Tarris Reed Jr. is questionable with a hamstring injury.

Hotaling will be delighted no matter which UConn players take the court.

“We want to generate excitement about being Division I and having our program compete against the very best,” Hotaling said. “There is a buzz around school and beyond. When I am walking in my community people tell me that they want to go to the UConn-New Haven game, and that is awesome for the university.”

The UConn File

2024-25 Record: 24-11 (14-6 Big East); lost in second round of NCAA Tournament, 77-75 to No. 1 seed Florida  

NCAA Championships: 1999, 2004, 2011, 2014, 2023, 2024

Head Coach: Dan Hurley (eighth season), 165-69 record at UConn

Familiar Faces

UConn can count on veteran leadership in the 2025-26 season – a luxury many teams don’t have.

But redshirt senior forward Alex Karaban, junior guard Solo Ball and senior center Tarris Reed Jr. all are back for another season in Storrs, looking for another national championship.

Karaban and Ball were named to the Naismith Player of the Year watch list on Monday, adding on to their preseason honors. The pair, along with Reed, previously were named to the Preseason All-Big East first team.

The trio put up impressive numbers last season.

Ball averaged 31.7 minutes, 14.4 points and 3.6 rebounds per game over 35 contests and shot 41.4% from the 3-point line.

Karaban appeared in 33 games and didn’t sit much, averaging a team-high 35.8 minutes per game. He contributed 14.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 34.7% from long distance.

And Reed, a 6-foot-11 force in the middle, added an average of 9.6 points and 7.3 rebounds over 19.9 minutes in 35 games.

Karaban, a two-time national champion, is the unquestioned leader of the team. Reed spoke glowingly to the Hartford Courant about Karaban and his growth since last season.

“He’s bigger, he’s stronger, he’s faster. Somehow shoots better. It’s crazy how each year he takes his game to a whole different level,” Reed said. “His composure, like honestly, you couldn’t even tell he wasn’t having the best year on the court (last year). He always kept himself at a high level, high standard, always kept his head held high and always worked. That dude’s a workaholic man, he works like no other.

“He’s always in the gym, always shooting, always getting up the extra reps. In practice he’s the first one to do every drill, first one laughing, competing, so that dude is just – he’s a guy you can get behind, a guy you could really go to war with.”

New Faces

247Sports ranks UConn’s freshman class No. 9 in the nation after Hurley signed five-star shooting guard Braylon Mullins, four-star big man Eric Riebe, four-star guard Jacob Furphy and three-star small forward Jacob Ross.

The 6-6 Mullins, from Greenfield-Central (Ind.) High School, was ranked by 247Sports as the No. 2 player at his position and No. 12 overall. Since 247Sports began its rankings, he holds the sixth-highest rating among UConn prospects, situated between Liam McNeeley and Kemba Walker.

He is starting the season on the shelf, expected to be out until early December after injuring his ankle in practice last month. Mullins was named a McDonald's All American and Indiana’s Mr. Basketball as a senior. Big East coaches voted him as the preseason Freshman of the Year in the conference.

The 7-1 Riebe has international experience with his native Germany and comes to UConn from The Bullis School in Potomac, Md. A 2025 McDonald’s All American, he is listed by 247Sports as the No. 5 power forward in the class and the No. 36 overall prospect.

Furphy, a 6-6 guard, is a native of Tasmania and played at the NBA Global Academy in Canberra, Australia. He made his senior team debut for Australia in the 2025 Asia Cup qualifiers and ranks No. 26 on the 247Sports list of small forwards.

Ross is the younger brother of the Huskies’ Jayden Ross. The 6-5 Virginia native most recently played at a prep school, SoCal Academy in Castaic, Calif., and 247Sports ranked him as the No. 21 small forward in talent-rich California.

New Places

Hurley brought in two key transfers in the offseason: point guard Malachi Smith from Dayton and combo guard Silas Demary Jr. 247Sports ranked both as four-stars in the transfer portal.

A New York native, Smith is a 6-1 redshirt senior. In his final season with the Flyers in 2024-25, he averaged a career-high 10.4 points with 5.3 assists in 27.8 minutes per game. Smith appeared in 33 games, starting 31.

The 6-4 Demary played in 70 games (69 starts) for the Bulldogs over the past two seasons. He shot 35.3% from 3-point range and averaged 11.5 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.5 steals per game.

Season Outlook

Coaches in the Big East projected the Huskies to finish second in the conference, just behind St. John’s. Coach Rick Pitino’s Red Storm received seven first-place votes and 97 total points from the league’s head coaches, while UConn tallied four first-place votes and 94 points.

The Huskies also wound up with three players on preseason All-Big East First Team: Ball, Karaban and Reed. That is in addition to Mullins’ preseason Freshman of the Year nod.

Key Games

UConn begins the season against three regional opponents and will have a chance to build some momentum before a string of seven games that pit the Huskies against five teams ranked in The Associated Press preseason poll.

Once the Huskies get past the gauntlet of BYU, Arizona, Illinois, Kansas and defending national champion Florida, they will play just four games against teams that were ranked in the preseason – two games each with Big East foes St. John’s and Creighton.

Seen on Social Media

2025-26 Roster

No.       Player                         Pos.      Year           Height/Weight       Hometown

0            Malachi Smith         G            R-Sr.            6-1, 180                   Bronx, N.Y.

1             Solo Ball                    G            Jr.                6-4, 200                   Leesburg, Va.

2            Silas Demary Jr.      G            Jr.                6-4, 195                      Raleigh, N.C.

3            Jaylin Stewart         F             Jr.                6-7, 225                      Seattle

4            Dwayne Koroma    F             R-Sr.           6-8, 212                      Berlin

5            Tarris Reed Jr.         C            Sr.                6-11, 265                    St. Louis

7            Jacob Furphy          G            Fr.                6-6, 205                     Smithton, Tasmania

9            Alec Millender         G            Grad          6-1, 190                       Glenwood, Ill.

10          Rrezon Elezaj           C            Fr.                7-2, 225                      Peja, Kosovo

11           Alex Karaban          F             R-Sr.            6-8, 230                      Southborough, Mass.

12          Eric Reibe                 C            Fr.                7-1, 260                       Hanover, Germany

13          Jacob Ross              F             Fr,                6-5, 195                       Bristow, Va.

23         Jayden Ross            F             Jr.                6-7, 205                       Bristow, Va.

24         Braylon Mullins      G            Fr.                6-6, 196                       Greenfield, Ind.

77         Uroš Paunovic        G            Jr.                 6-3, 190                      Belgrade, Serbia

2025-26 Schedule

Monday, Nov. 3                           vs. New Haven              7 p.m.

Friday, Nov. 7                               vs. UMass Lowell          7:30 p.m.

Monday, Nov. 10                         vs. Columbia                 6:30 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 15                        vs. 8 BYU *                      7 p.m.

Wednesday, Nov. 19                   vs. 13 Arizona                7 p.m.

Sunday, Nov. 23                           vs. Bryant                     6 p.m.

Friday, Nov. 28                             vs. 17 Illinois *                12:30 p.m.

Tuesday, Dec. 2                           at 19 Kansas                 9 p.m.

Friday, Dec. 5                               vs. East Texas A&M     7:30 p.m.

Tuesday, Dec. 9                           vs. 3 Florida *               9 p.m.

Friday, Dec. 12                             vs. Texas                        8 p.m.

Tuesday, Dec. 16                         vs. Butler                       8:30 p.m.

Sunday, Dec. 21                           at DePaul                     4:30 p.m.

Wednesday, Dec. 31                   at Xavier                      5 p.m.

Saturday, Jan. 4                          vs. Marquette             2 p.m.

Tuesday, Jan. 7                           at Providence             7 p.m.

Friday, Jan. 10                             vs. DePaul                    12:30 p.m.

Monday, Jan. 13                          at Seton Hall               8 p.m.

Friday, Jan. 17                             at Georgetown           Noon

Friday, Jan. 24                             vs. Villanova               12:30 p.m.

Monday, Jan. 27                          vs. Providence           7:30 p.m.

Friday, Jan. 31                             at 23 Creighton          8 p.m.

Monday, Feb. 3                           vs. Xavier                     7 p.m.

Thursday, Feb. 6                         at 5 St. John's            8 p.m.

Tuesday, Feb. 11                          at Butler                      7:30 p.m.

Friday, Feb. 14                             vs. Georgetown        8 p.m.

Tuesday, Feb. 18                         vs. 23 Creighton       7 p.m.

Friday, Feb. 21                             at Villanova              7 p.m.

Tuesday, Feb. 25                         vs. 5 St. John's         7 p.m.

Friday, Feb. 28                             vs. Seton Hall          Noon

Friday, March 7                           at Marquette           12:30 p.m.

* Game played at neutral location                                

Rankings are from the AP Top 25 preseason poll