PHILADELPHIA – The UConn men’s basketball team will be without point guard Silas Demary Jr. and forward Jaylin Stewart for Friday’s NCAA Tournament first round game against No. 15 seed Furman, according to the NCAA injury report.
Demary suffered an ankle injury in the final minutes of Saturday’s Big East Tournament championship game against St. John’s after he went to the ground and was stepped on, and has been working toward playing. He said Thursday that he was expecting to be ready to go this weekend, but was taking it day-by-day and doing everything he could to get as close to 100% as possible.
Stewart has missed the Huskies’ last six games with right knee inflammation, which developed as the season went on. He returned to practice on Thursday.
Both players were listed as questionable on Thursday night.
Demary, a First Team All-Big East and All-Defense selection, is averaging 10.9 points, 4.5 rebounds and 6.2 assists per game on 46.1% shooting from the field and 41.6% from beyond the 3-point line. His absence will likely mean starter’s minutes for backup Malachi Smith, who is averaging 3.5 points, 1.5 rebounds and 2.7 assists in 15.0 minutes per game. Alex Millender, who’s only played 3.1 minutes per game in 16 appearances this season, would figure to be the backup point guard.
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