UConn basketball roster breakdown: Starting lineup prediction, bench rotation, depth outlook for 2025-26

When you win back-to-back national championships for the world to see, you’re the talk of the town in college basketball. When you lose three in a row at the Maui Invitational for the world to see, you’re also the talk of the town in college basketball. Such is life for Dan Hurley and UConn.

Even amidst a season marred with injuries, meltdowns, portal whiffs and a St. John’s dilemma that’s not going away, UConn still managed to be on the doorstep of a third-straight, second-weekend appearance and gave eventual champion Florida everything it wanted and then some.

Being bypassed by St. John’s in the Big East pecking order, if only for a season, has seemingly done a number on Hurley. UConn has had one of the best offseasons in college basketball. He kept his entire group of prized assistants, including Kimani Young and Luke Murray. UConn also added a new voice to the staff in Villanova’s Mike Nardi, long a Jay Wright disciple. Freshman Liam McNeeley went pro, and UConn had a few expected portalers, but it retained four key rotation players at massive positions of need: Solo Ball, Alex Karaban, Tarris Reed and Jaylin Stewart. UConn also cleaned up in free agency, bolstering its strengths and plugging the massive holes at point guard.

Let’s dive into the weeds with the 2025-26 Huskies. 

At the beginning of last season, the UConn Huskies looked to be one of the favorites to win the national championship. However, UConn’s season was done in the first weekend. With the addition of Braylon Mullens and Silas Demary Jr, the Huskies look to be back to their winning ways. But have they done enough in the frontcourt to win their third national championship in four years? Field Of 68’s Rob Dauster stops by to chat with Gary Parrish in the latest episode of Summer Shootaround.   

Projected starting lineup

1. Silas Demary Jr. | 6-5 | 195 | Jr.

Point guard play was a problem for UConn last year, and Hurley is doing something about it with the addition of Demary. The Georgia transfer has terrific positional size, real-deal athleticism and a tenacious work ethic. Demary averaged north of 19.0 points in the final 10 games of the season to help the Dawgs lock down an NCAA Tournament bid. By the end of the year, Demary was playing as well as any guard not named Walter Clayton Jr. in the best league in America. Demary checks off so many boxes for UConn. He’s a sturdy multi-positional defender who can handle heavy on-ball responsibilities, create a shot from all three levels in late-clock scenarios, draw a bevy of fouls and drill treys. Demary is a good player, but he can turn a corner into a great one at UConn, especially if he stays for two years.

2. Solo Ball | 6-3 | 190 | Jr.

Ball is one of the premier off-movement shooters in college basketball. Only three Division I players drained more 3s off screens than Ball (31) last year. He orbits around UConn’s exquisite, shooter-friendly scheme and puts defenses in major binds with his pure lefty stroke. Ray Allen, Jordan Hawkins and Ben Gordon are the only UConn players who have splashed 100+ 3-pointers in a single season. If healthy, Ball can join that exclusive club, but adding more good weight to his frame will be essential to handle the Big East wars that are on tap. Ball shot a measly 44% at the rim in halfcourt situations and totaled just 37 drives all year. He can add so much more to his repertoire, which is a scary thought for Big East foes.

3. Braylon Mullins | 6-5 | 190 | Fr.

Talent evaluators near and far rave about Mullins. The sleek guard is regarded as one of the top sharpshooters from the Class of 2026, and he wisely chose an offensive system that creates a ton of open catch-and-shoot 3-pointers. He should also help UConn’s transition offense be deadly with his quick-trigger treys. UConn does not need Mullins to be a star, but this ecosystem is set up for him to thrive thanks to his combination of size, shooting and attention to detail defensively.

4. Alex Karaban | 6-8 | 225 | Sr.

Karaban is on the verge of a massive bounce-back season. The lack of a real-deal point guard hurt Karaban more than almost anybody on UConn’s roster. He had more on-ball responsibilities than ever before, and it didn’t go well. He was forced to take tougher shots, causing his percentages to sink like a stone. Oh, and he had a seven-game stretch during Big East play where he shot an incomprehensible 4-for-38 from downtown. Odds are strong that a cold patch like that won’t happen again, especially since UConn’s much-improved supporting cast should help Karaban settle into more of a secondary role that suits him best. He’s not a high-usage superstar. Karaban is an elite role player who operates as a connect-the-dots, two-way wing. Don’t be surprised if he shoots over 40% from downtown on high volume this season and reclaims his throne as one of the Big East’s best snipers. UConn’s trio of sharpshooters in Ball, Karaban and Mullins will be the envy of almost every coaching staff in the country.

5. Tarris Reed Jr. | 6-10 | 260 | Sr.

Reed was a per-minute monster in his first season in Storrs. The big fella averaged 9.6 points and 7.3 rebounds in just 20 minutes. He led the Big East in rebounding rate and finished second in block percentage, per KenPom. Not too shabby. But Reed can level up thanks to the Year 2 transfer jump. Reed showed flashes of becoming a useful defender in space, which could unlock extra levers for this UConn defense if he can take another step in the right direction. But the silly fouls and frustrating turnovers have to get eliminated from the portfolio. With a minutes boost on tap, Reed is positioned to flirt with double-doubles every single night.

Off the bench

Jaylin Stewart 6-7 | 215 | Jr.

Stewart gives Hurley some real lineup versatility, depending on the matchup. He’s a big, athletic wing who can shift to the 4, if necessary. UConn could easily go big with Stewart, Karaban and Reed on the floor together. Stewart should have no trouble finding at least 20 minutes of playing time a night if his defense is up to the challenge. The offensive flashes are tantalizing. There’s a jumbo wing who can pass, dribble and shoot in there somewhere, but simplifying his game would be massive. There’s no reason why Stewart can’t be one of the best role players in the Big East this year as an outstanding cutter and offensive rebounder who can drill 3s and even handle the rock a little bit. Adding more to his game as a potential bootyball threat would be a nice wrinkle.  

Malachi Smith | 6-0 | 175 | R-Sr.

Smith is an outstanding portal acquisition for the Huskies. The Dayton transfer is a menacing playmaker in pick-and-rolls who has terrific feel and can whip passes all over the floor. He provides a changeup, of sorts, who can be that initiator point guard who revs the tempo up when he checks into the game. If you run, Smith will find you in transition. UConn rated 304th in transition frequency, per Synergy. If UConn can pair its normal exquisite halfcourt offense with more quick-strike transition buckets, that raises the bar for this offense to a whole new level. You have to guard Smith on the perimeter (38% on 2.5 attempts), but he also provides a host of rim pressure and drew a ton of fouls. He’s another option that UConn can lean on in late-clock situations to create a good look. He’ll help keep this group organized all year.

Jayden Ross | 6-7 | 205 | Jr.

Hurley has often mentioned this offseason how excited he was to keep Ross in the fold for Year 3. The fluid-moving wing has terrific positional size and defensive potential. UConn’s defense wasn’t anything to write home about last year, but Ross could be a part of the solution on that end. There are minutes to be had if Ross becomes the wing stopper who can handle tough assignments like St. John’s Bryce Hopkins, Marquette’s Chase Ross or Creighton’s Josh Dix.

Eric Reibe | 7-0 | 230 | Fr.

Every good offense needs to have a five-out option, and UConn will have that in its arsenal with Reibe. The 7-footer owns a clean shooting stroke and can pass. That unlocks a potpourri of extra buttons for Hurley and Luke Murray to press offensively when he’s drawing shot-blockers away from the rim. The lefty has serious skill for a big fella, but you need to be nasty and physical to tangle with the Big East monsters. Reibe should be a rock-solid backup center who can provide a different look offensively when Reed needs a blow. Reibe’s best basketball is so clearly ahead of him.

Jacob Furphy | 6-5 | 210 | Fr.

Furphy is a high-feel Australian import who can pass, cut and shoot. Furphy impressed during the FIBA U19 World Cup, especially with a 24-point outing against Team USA. UConn is loaded with shooters, so Furphy may have to bide his time, but he will be given the opportunity to crack this rotation. His defense could make-or-break his chances at earning minutes in the heat of conference play, but it’s clear that UConn’s depth options are much-improved compared to last year’s unit that got real thin, real quickly.

Filling out the roster

With expanded, 15-man rosters arriving in college basketball, UConn is one of many high-major programs that loaded up on veteran, low-major transfers who will be willing practice players and aren’t expensive. Dwayne Koroma (from Le Moyne) and Alec Millender (from IU Indy) will use their final year of eligibility helping a contender chase a championship on the biggest stage, but they’re not expected to crack this rotation.

Dwayne Koroma | 6-8 | 205 | R-Sr.Alec Millender | 6-1 | 185 | R-Sr.Souleymane Diaby | 6-5 | 185 | Sr.

Market watch

Odds to win 2026 NCAA Tournament (via Fanduel): +1700, tied for fourth-best odds

UConn looks like big, bad UConn again, and the national championship odds reflect that. This offense should be an absolute wagon. Improved point guard play from Demary and Smith paired with shooters like Ball, Mullins and Karaban, elite offensive rebounding from Reed and a five-out option in Reibe give UConn a real shot to be the No. 1 offense in college basketball. It has everything it needs on that end.

Creating good shots + excellent offensive rebounding + low turnover rate = vroom-vroom offense. UConn should be able to ace those benchmarks.

But the Huskies can’t win the title without real growth defensively. Hurley-coached teams have fouled way, way too much historically. At some point, that has to take a step in the opposite direction. UConn’s personnel on that end is definitely better, especially with Demary at the point of attack and Reed slated to play more minutes, but there’s no Donovan Clingan or Steph Castle on this roster, either. Since this offense is going to be elite, UConn doesn’t need the best defense in the land to win the national championship, but it can’t be 75th in the country, either.

St. John’s is jam-packed with talent and athleticism, but UConn is the best team in the Big East. Again.