Solo Ball announces he’ll be back at UConn next season

Not a whole lot is clear about what the UConn men’s basketball roster will look like next season, but one major piece of the puzzle– sophomore guard Solo Ball— appears to have fallen into place.

Ball, who will be a junior next season, announced his decision to return to Storrs next season on Instagram Wednesday night.

“They can’t sleep forever,” the post read, with the hashtag #imback.

The 6-3 guard from Leesburg, Virginia was one of the Huskies’ most consistent offensive performers last season, averaging 14.4 points and 3.6 rebounds per game while shooting a team-leading 41.4% from 3-point range.

Ball’s name had appeared in the first round on some NBA mock drafts, including as high as 17th on NBADraft.net, with scouts enamored with his frame, athleticism and shooting ability. He showed flashes of star potential last season, like when he went for 25 points on a blistering 7-for-9 from 3-point range in a win at Marquette, or when he scored 23 in an overtime victory against Butler. At season’s end, he was named Second Team All-Big East.

Though he signed with UConn as a four-star recruit, ranked the No. 33 player in the country in the Class of 2023 by ESPN, Ball didn’t sulk when he didn’t see immediate playing time as a freshman. He played just 11 minutes per game on UConn’s back-to-back title-winning team in 2024, averaging just 3.3 points per, and falling out of the rotation after starting 10 games early that season when star freshman Stephon Castle was out with an injury.

“Solo’s just scratching the surface of what he’s going to be,” head coach Dan Hurley said after a game in late February. “I just think that this guy’s gonna be one of the best guards in the country. Coming in here next year, I think you’re gonna see a huge jump to like 16-17 (points) a game and the efficiency is even gonna go higher.”

One area where Ball will look to improve is defensively, where, despite having a seven-foot wingspan and the quickness and athleticism required to excel, he’s struggled at times.

“We know Solo is a beautiful shooter,” Hurley told reporters in January. “We’ve got to get his defense (going). We’ve got to get that two-way play for him– he’s got all of the components to do it.”

With Ball’s return set, the roster is starting to take more shape for next season. Sophomore forward Jaylin Stewart has already announced that he’ll be back. Freshman star Liam McNeeley will not, announcing his decision to enter the NBA Draft on Tuesday. Junior Aidan Mahaney announced his decision to enter the transfer portal, as did freshman guard Ahmad Nowell, forward Isaiah Abraham and sophomore center Youssouf Singare. The Huskies now await Alex Karaban‘s decision on whether to stay for his senior year at UConn or enter the draft, and junior center Tarris Reed Jr.‘s decision on whether to finish his college career in Storrs or re-enter the transfer portal after coming in from Michigan last offseason.

The Huskies also have a trio of McDonald’s All-Americans coming in a loaded freshman class, including guard Darius Adams and Braylon Mullins, forward Jacob Furphy, and center Eric Reibe.