University of Connecticut Athletics
University of Connecticut
New Haven
Huskies Open 2025-26 Season On Monday At Gampel
11/1/2025 3:12:00 PM | Men's Basketball
STORRS – The No. 4 UConn men's basketball team kicks off the 2025-26 season on Monday night when it welcomes New Haven to Gampel Pavilion. The contest marks the beginning of the 123rd season in the history of the program and the eighth season with Dan Hurley at the helm of the six-time national champions. UConn is riding a streak of five-straight NCAA Tournament appearances and is ranked in the preseason Top-10 for the third-consecutive season.
UConn is coming off a successful exhibition slate, topping Boston College on Oct. 13 at Mohegan Sun, 71-52, and knocking off No. 22 Michigan State by a score of 77-69 on Oct. 28 in Hartford. Connecticut will face one of the fiercest non-league slates in the country in '25-26, set to take on six high-major foes including five in the Preseason AP Top 25.
The Huskies will blend a core group of five returners with a total of 10 newcomers this season. UConn returns nearly 60 percent of its scoring from a season ago, including three of its top four scorers in Preseason First Team All-BIG EAST picks Solo Ball, Alex Karaban and Tarris Reed Jr.
Karaban, a starter on the 2023 and 2024 national champion teams, is the headliner amongst the five returners and is an All-America candidate ahead of his redshirt senior season. He was recently named to both the NABC Player of the Year and Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Award watch lists. Karaban is coming off career-highs across the board after averaging 14.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.5 blocks per game in 2024-25.
Ball scored 14.4 points per game last season in a breakout sophomore campaign, while establishing himself as one of the nation's premier 3-point shooting threats and hitting on a 41.4 percent clip from downtown. In addition to his Preseason All-Conference honors, he was recently named a Third Team Preseason All-American by CBS' Jon Rothstein and was a member of the Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Award watch list. Reed Jr. is coming off his first season in Storrs, where he became one of the nation's elite rebounders en route to the BIG EAST Sixth Man of the Year Award. He averaged 9.6 points and 7.3 rebounds in 19.9 minutes per game, shooting 67.0 percent from the floor and ranking top-12 nationally in both offensive and defensive rebounding percentage. The big man was recently named to the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award watch list.
The junior duo of Jayden Ross and Jaylin Stewart on the wing round out UConn's five returners. Both were members of the 2024 national title team and are currently in their third season with the program, arriving with Ball ahead of 2023-24. Stewart made 12 spot starts last year and recorded seven double-figure scoring games. Ross impressed in UConn's last exhibition vs. MSU, scoring 13 points and hitting a pair of 3-pointers off the bench.
UConn's 10 returners are headlined by a trio of newcomers at the point guard spot. Silas Demary Jr. spent two years at Georgia before matriculating at UConn, averaging over 13 points per game last season after an SEC All-Freshman campaign in 2023-24. Demary Jr. recently nabbed a spot on the Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award watch list ahead of his junior season. Malachi Smith comes to UConn following four years at Dayton. He averaged 10.4 points and 5.3 assists per game for the Flyers in '24-25 and is a 38.8 percent career 3-point shooter. Alec Millender further fortifies the spot, set to spend his final year of eligibility after playing at IU Indy a season ago.
UConn's incoming class includes a pair of McDonald's All-American's in Braylon Mullins and Eric Reibe, both of whom expect to immediately contribute. Mullins got the start and scored 12 points against Boston College and was recently named to the Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year watch list. Reibe started both exhibitions and is coming off a successful run at the FIBA U19 World Cup this summer, helping Germany to a silver medal and averaging over 15 points per game. Also new are international prospects Rrezon Elezaj and Jacob Furphy along with Jacob Ross, younger brother of Jayden and a three-star prospect. Dwayne Koroma joins UConn to fortify the frontcourt after spending 2024-25 at Le Moyne, where he was a double-figure scorer.
The Chargers of New Haven are making their Division 1 debut on Monday night. New Haven joined the NEC effective immediately over the summer. The Chargers are coming off a 12-17 season in the Northeast-10 and are led by head coach Ted Hotaling, beginning his 15th season.
Following Monday night's home opener, the Huskies will take on UMass Lowell at PeoplesBank Arena in Hartford on Friday, Nov. 7.
