Even though they are playing one of the most difficult schedules we've ever seen, everyone expects that the UConn men's basketball team will be good again in 2026-27.

And the expectations remain super high even despite the team losing Solo Ball to injury and Tarris Reed Jr. and Alex Karaban to graduation. 

Part of the reason why people are still so high on Dan Hurley's team? Well, the guard play from Silas Demary Jr. and Braylon Mullins but also, the potential of transfer center Na'Jai Hines, who comes in from Seton Hall. 

The hype train has left the station when it comes to Hines, with everyone from Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports to Isaac Trotter of CBS Sports talking him up this offseason. Trotter recently predicted him to be one of the biggest breakout players in the country.

He comes to Storrs after a season with the Pirates, where he averaged 6.5 ppg and 5.5 rebounds. He also blocked 2.2 shots in 18 minutes a game. As noted by Rothstein earlier this summer, when he plays more than 20 minutes a game, his numbers improve to 10 points and eight rebounds a night.

The expectation will be that he plays more than 20 minutes per night for Hurley, especially as the team faces other questions on the interior in the absence of Reed, who is now in the NBA with the San Antonio Spurs.

UConn is coming off a season in which it finished second in the Big East in the regular season and was the runner-ups in the Big East Tournament. Despite that, the Huskies rolled through the NCAA Tournament, beating Duke in the Elite Eight and winning against Illinois in the Final Four.

They eventually lost to Michigan in the national title game and have been to three title games in the last four years.They have two championship wins in that time, making them the most successful program in the nation in that time.

Former Huskies baseball star Rollie Sheldon died on Aug. 31 at the age of 89 years old. As noted by an online obituary, Sheldon spent one semester at Texas A&M before enrolling at UConn. He played both basketball and baseball at Connecticut.

After leaving UConn in 1960, he signed a professional contract with the New York Yankees. A right-handed pitcher, Sheldon went 38-36 for his career with a 4.09 ERA. He appeared in 160 games (101 starts), helping the Yankees win the World Series in both 1961 and 1962. He won a career-high 11 games in 1961, also teaming up with Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle during their famed home run chase that season.

Beyond his time with the Yankees, Sheldon also pitched for the Kansas City Athletics and the Boston Red Sox. He won 10 games in 1965 with the Yankees and A's combined.