UNCASVILLE – With foul trouble early and the absence of two starters, Dan Hurley tried out a number of different lineups in UConn’s 71-52 exhibition win over Boston College on Monday.
When the Huskies were playing well in the second half, junior wing Jayden Ross seemed to always be in the mix. In his 17 minutes off the bench, Ross was a team-best plus-26 with four points, four rebounds, an assist, a block and two steals.
“What the team is dying for is somebody off the bench, a big wing that can really guard people, play with athleticism, play with length,” Hurley said, noting that the Huskies have scorers up and down the roster despite shots not falling at an ideal rate on Monday. “Jay Ross, I thought he had a much better second half, he settled in. We need him to be a guy whose minutes are where they were tonight. We need him to be a guy that’s in that 15-17 (minute range), he’s making 3s… The roster is screaming for those wings, Jaylin (Stewart) and Jayden to really emerge as guys that can lock up on defense and be productive, big wings.”
Stewart, another Husky who fits the criteria and is looking for a consistent role in his third year with the program, got the crowd involved early with a two-handed slam in transition and a 3-pointer off the dribble. He finished plus-7 with seven points, three rebounds and an assist.
Dom Amore: This time, UConn men appear primed to play defense in Dan Hurley style
Hurley has said a number of times this offseason that defense will be the key to playing time.
With the way last year went, finishing the season 75th in defensive efficiency, the 2025-26 roster was put together with enough depth to where he has options to replace struggling defenders.
“We showed great flashes of what we can do offensively, defensively, but at the end of the day, we’ve got a long way to go,” said senior captain Alex Karaban. “We’re gonna watch the film, get better and just continue to get better day-in and day-out. But I thought we showed great flashes, I thought the team competed on both ends and I thought we battled through adversity during stretches in the game, so I’m proud of how we put our first game out there but there’s still a lot to get better at.”
How could the Huskies use Malachi Smith?
The obvious role for Malachi Smith would be as a backup to Silas Demary Jr., an infusion of energy off the bench. But it could be more than that.
Starting at point guard in the exhibition with Demary dealing with a calf injury, Smith set the tone defensively and showed, like Hassan Diarra, that he can impact virtually any lineup. After all, there were times that Diarra shared the court with Tristen Newton.
“Whatever the situation is when Silas is back, Malachi can play with Silas in the back court. Malachi, whether he’s a starter or whether he comes off the bench based on what direction we go, he’s going to be a major factor and he’s gonna be playing starter-like minutes,” Hurley said. “The guy just plays with a lot of energy and I know he had five assists, but we were bricks-away out there, I mean we were bricking everything. He should’ve had 12 assists, 14 assists.”
Smith finished with seven points, five assists, three rebounds and a block in his first time wearing a UConn uniform. He wasn’t credited with any steals, but his pressure at the point of attack was a big reason for Boston College’s 20 turnovers.
“He really played off his defense and made plays for us and took the shots that were there for him,” Karaban said. “I thought he played a very good all-around game… His energy that he created on the defensive end really sparked everyone else out there and he’s just a great teammate to be on the court with.”
Hurley remembers ‘Ultimate UConn fan’
Before beginning his post-game press conference, Hurley took a moment to offer his condolences to the family of UConn fan Mary Sohon Volz, who recently passed away from breast cancer.
“She was like the ultimate UConn fan,” he said. “And her whole family, they’re Connecticut people and they’re incredible people. She actually got diagnosed with it right before (the 2023 Final Four in) Houston and was with us in Houston, kind of like, ‘Screw it, I’m going to go watch my favorite team go out and win the national championship.’ She finished her last treatment after (the 2024 Final Four in) Phoenix. She was with us in Phoenix and, as sick as she was, and as brutal as it was for her family, she was at every game last year.
“Our deepest condolences to those families, they’re incredible people and I think they might’ve been at the game tonight. We’ll be giving everything that we’ve got as a team and as a program to deliver a championship for those great families.”
