STORRS – There were some tough moments during his first year at UConn when point guard Silas Demary Jr. questioned whether he wanted to return to Storrs for a second season.
But he saw the demands from Dan Hurley and the coaching staff start to pay off as the season went on. And, after helping lead the Huskies to the national championship game despite a grade two ankle sprain, one torn and two partially torn ligaments, the decision was pretty cut and dry.
“There was probably a time where I was like, ‘Man, do I want to come back?’ But when you look back at it after the season, like I can’t tell you how many times I’ve said, man, it’s been a great year of my life, it’s probably the most fun I’ve had in a long time. So you can’t run away from that,” Demary said in the Huskies’ practice facility on Tuesday. “It’s not too many programs you’re gonna go to where people are going to push you every day and still gonna love on you the same way and have the fun that we have every day. I don’t think there’s too many programs doing that on a day-to-day basis.”
Demary gave some thought to testing the NBA Draft waters, but determined that it didn’t make sense given the timeline for his ankle to heal, and that the smarter decision would be to take advantage of another year developing in Hurley’s system. He sat down with his family for a couple of days going over the pros and cons, but he came to the decision fairly quickly.
When he met with Hurley, the Huskies’ coach made it clear that “he wanted his QB1 back.”
“To hear him say that and know that it’s a want for me to be back and a need for me to be back, that just feels good. Especially with who Coach is and the person he is, I feel like it’s hard for a lot of people to come in and be able to deal with what he demands on a day-to-day basis,” Demary said. “But me and him grew throughout the year and I just felt comfortable knowing that if I come back, they’ll help put myself and the team in a position to be successful.”
This UConn star has support of his own village as he looks to be Huskies’ next great point guard
Demary made his decision public on April 14, eight days after the national championship game. Four days later, Braylon Mullins announced he would put off the NBA Draft and return for a sophomore season.
Just like that, the Huskies secured one of, if not the best backcourt tandem in college basketball heading into the 2026-27 season.
“When I saw Braylon was coming back I was like, ‘Yeah, we got a real chance to run it back,’” Demary said. “Because he’s such a talented scorer, but I think a lot of people kind of don’t understand that as the season went on, he became a great defender. I think he improved every day, he was willing to take the challenge, and then in some of our biggest games, he made some of the biggest shots. Knowing that I got my shooter back with me, like I’m way confident, and then even more confident with the guys we’re bringing in.”
UConn has a pair of incoming freshmen set to join the program in Colben Landrew and Junior County, along with four new additions (and counting) out of the transfer portal in Nik Khamenia, Najai Hines, Oskar Giltay and Nils Machowski, who committed Tuesday afternoon. The Ross brothers, Jayden and Jacob, will be back and Solo Ball will stick around the program but sit the year out as a medical redshirt after he has wrist surgery.
https://www.courant.com/2026/04/28/report-uconn-mens-basketball-adds-high-scoring-star-mid-major-guard/
All of the returners took on some sort of a role in the recruiting process for incoming transfers. Demary was just in the same position last year, coming over from Georgia. His pitch?
“If you want a chance to compete, to win at a high level, this is one of the programs you gotta take a serious look at,” he said. “And another thing I’m telling guys is: You’ve got to be willing to sacrifice. I think at times throughout the season, you’ve got to sacrifice for what’s better for the team rather than what’s best for you. I think that’s what this team embodies.”
UConn has a roster that should continue to compete at the highest level of the sport. Demary is the piece that ties it all together, and he hopes to be 100% healthy by the time summer workouts begin on June 1.
“I think what I’ve got to work on is being an all-around great player. I think the shot’s got to improve even more, turnover ratio can go up more, I had some games where I had some high turnovers so just trying to control the ball at a better pace, cleaning up some decision-making,” he said, knowing that having a year in the system under his belt will make him even more comfortable on the court. “And then obviously AK (Alex Karaban) is gone and Tarris (Reed Jr.) is gone, so stepping into that leadership role, especially being a senior and this being my last year. It’s time to just step into a role where guys are always leaning on me and I’ve got to be at my best every day to give the team what they need… I want that challenge, I think I thrive off of challenges.”
When he committed to UConn last April, Demary said he wanted to be the “next great UConn point guard.”
He was just what the Huskies needed last season, averaging 10.1 points, 5.9 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game, and shooting a career-best 38.5% from beyond the arc on his way to a First Team All-Big East nomination and the AP Big East Transfer Newcomer of the Year nod.
But in order to be great, to join the likes of Tristen Newton, Kemba Walker and Shabazz Napier, Demary knows what he needs to do.
“What I’ve got to do is win,” he said. “I think we did everything but do that at a high level this year. So I think being able to complete those goals of winning championships next year will kind of help, I guess, cement my legacy here. I think I have to take on Coach’s attitude 100%, I think I’ve got to truly be him and be myself at the same time.”
