The University of Connecticut men's basketball team is looking to get back to the national title game for the fourth time in the last five years in 2026-27, but there are some questions surrounding the program as they attempt to do that.

UConn lost in the national title game this past season, dropping a physical battle against Michigan. They last won the title in 2023-24 when they defeated Purdue.

How the Huskies navigate a very difficult schedule, arguably the toughest non-conference schedule ever assembled, is certainly part of the story for the upcoming version of Dan Hurley's squad, but the biggest question lies here:

The Huskies have lost decorated center Tarris Reed Jr. to the NBA, where he was taken in the first round of the NBA Draft by the San Antonio Spurs. They also lost depth big man Eric Reibe, who transferred to Southern California.

So those losses are big deals, as is the loss of the 6-foot-8 hybrid player Alex Karaban, who is now playing for the Sacramento Kings. Karaban is one of the most beloved players in program history.

Entering the picture for the Huskies is 6-foot-10 transfer Oskar Giltay, who comes in from Stanford.

Giltay is a Belgium native who played in 32 games for the Cardinal this past season. In addition to his height, he's listed at 235 pounds. He played just under 15 minutes a game for Stanford.

He averaged 3.3 ppg and 4.1 rebounds in those almost-15 minutes, meaning he's certainly proficient on the glass.

Also in the mix is 7-footer Elmir Dzafic, who has transferred in from Arkansas. He played just 16 minutes in seven games at Arkansas.

Hurley and his staff will be undoubtedly intrigued by trying to unlock something in Džafić that can help the program moving forward, but the prior production from both him and Giltay is not very strong.

Na'jai Hines transfers in with a bit more of a resume, having played 18 minutes a game at Seton Hall (6.5 ppg), but is he capable of taking a big jump this season?

The Huskies are going to be led by rising senior Silas Demary Jr. and sophomore Braylon Mullins. Both are very good players, but without a lot of help down low, teams will be able to key on them on the outside, likely making life tougher offensively.

How will these two players respond, and what contributions will they get from other perimeter and wing players on the roster, including Nils Machowski and Nik Khamenia? 

While we think of UConn as a physical and balanced team, this team appears to be more guard and wing-oriented, which could make life tougher in March.

Unless of course, Hurley gets the development from the bigs that he's banking on.

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