One day after University of Connecticut women's basketball standouts Sarah Strong and KK Arnold were identified on the "watch list," for the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year award, a pair of UConn men's players learned they were up for the award as well.

Both Tarris Reed Jr. and Silas Demary Jr. are vying for the award against a distinguished list of candidates.

A list of ten finalists will be announced on March 25 and the winner will be announced as part of the Final Four on April 5.

Demary and Reed join Zuby Ejiofor (St. Johns) as the only Big East players on the watch list.

A senior from Missouri, Reed is one of the most efficient across-the-board players in the nation. He's averaging 14.5 ppg and 7.9 rebounds. He's also recording 1.2 steals a game and 2.1 blocks. His 62.3 percent shooting percentage leads the Big East. This has been the most impactful offensive season of his career, including his first two seasons at Michigan. He averaged 9.6 ppg a year ago for the Huskies.

A junior who just transferred in from Georgia, Demary has started all 21 games for Dan Hurley's team. He's averaging 10.4 ppg and recently recorded his 1,000th career point. His 6.1 assists a game lead the Big East and he's also averaging 1.8 steals per contest. He's fifth in the Big East in that statistic. 

The Huskies will be back in action on Saturday night (8 p.m. ET) against Creighton inside Big East play. The Huskies are 20-1 and ranked No. 2 nationally.

--Huskies football alums Joe Fagnano and Skyler Bell recently participated in the East-West Shrine Game, with Fagnano receiving high marks for his performance. Both players are possible NFL draft choices, with Bell looking like a sure selection at wide receiver. He was named an All-American in 2025.

--The Huskies women's basketball team rolled past Xavier on Wednesday night to move to a perfect 22-0 on the season. They'll be back in action on Sunday afternoon (12 p.m. ET) when they host No. 15 Tennessee, one of the most decorated programs in the history of the women's game. The Volunteers have won eight national championships.

--UConn inducted Aaliyah Edwards into the Huskies of Honor before Wednesday's win.

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