NEW YORK, N.Y. –– With the new era of college basketball switching from recruiting high schoolers to looking for players through the transfer portal the UConn men’s basketball program has embraced the new tradition.
The Huskies have welcomed 10 new faces, seven of which have come through the transfer portal. Of these new players, seven of them are underclassmen.
“It’s a challenge in itself,” Braylon Mullins said. “We’ve been doing a pretty good job. And just keeping everybody at a high standard and the intensity has not changed since I’ve gotten here.”
With many players from last season gone, many heads turn to the new senior players like Jayden Ross and Silas Demary Jr. to be leaders of this new-look UConn team.
“It’s a blessing to be able to have the privilege and responsibility [to be a leader] on a team like UConn,” Ross said. “You think about the standard we’ve been able to hold over the last few years, getting to the national championship three times in the last five years.”
This season starts with a heavyweight non-conference schedule. Demary Jr. made sure to let his newer teammates know that nothing is going to be easy.
“I told them it’s going to be a grueling season. Nothing’s easy,” said Demary Jr. during a media availability last week. “Everything we are doing here is going to prepare us for the game. So just being able to embrace it and attack every day the right way and at least know that we’re going in the right direction.”
Embracing that mindset is especially critical following a major shift in veteran leadership.
Last season, 10 of the Huskies were upperclassmen. That number is down to six this season. Of the 10 players who departed Storrs after last season, the leader of the team, Alex Karaban, played all four of his seasons at UConn. Karaban was a key piece in winning two national championships and losing him to the NBA hit the team hard.
“It’s different,” Mullins said when asked about Karaban no longer being on the team. “I think us returners kind of try to step into that role. But it’s hard to fill a void of AK [Karaban]. He was the standard of this program.”
Although he may only be a sophomore, Mullins is already viewed as a veteran player with tendencies towards being a leader. Many rumors swirled about whether Mullins would return for his sophomore season or take his talents to the NBA, but he ultimately decided to stay in Connecticut. He believes the current roster already has great chemistry despite so many new faces.
“I think this group is going to mesh very well. But I think the connectivity that we have is going to help us on the floor.” Mullins said.
Mullins hit the game-winning shot last season to defeat Duke to send UConn to the Final Four but now feels like he has moved past it.
“I kind of forgot what the tournament was like because ultimately, we didn’t win,” said Mullins. “This summer I’ve been in the weight room; I think that’s been a main priority for me. Having the ball in my hands more on the court, being more assertive and trying to get everybody better on the team.”
That growth that Mullins has been working on has fit directly into Hurley’s formula of building a team. He believes the success from the UConn program comes from returning a “core big three.”
“If you look at our teams that we’ve had success with, it’s that returning four: Jordan Hawkins, Adama Sanogo, Andre Jackson,” said Hurley. “You bring back the Karaban, the Donovan Clingan, the Tristen Newton; that’s where a lot of our success has been built around.”
The staff strategically crafted this season’s team in the same manner.
“We return Silas [Demary Jr.], we return Braylon [Mullins], we return Jayden Ross. We bring in some high-level freshmen we believe in, and then we pick our spots in the portal.”
Along with Hurley, both freshman Colben Landrew and Junior County have stood out to Ross. Landrew, who is an explosive forward that attacks the basket and can bury the deep ball, was named Big East Preseason Freshman Player of the Year on Thursday. The 6-foot-6 forward and Mississippi native averaged 23.9 points and 6.5 rebounds during his senior season as he led Wheeler High School in Marietta, Ga., to a state championship. Landrew is expected to play a big role this season and Hurley has high praise for the five-star prospect.
Joining Landrew in this season’s incoming class is 6-foot-5 County. The 2026 Utah Gatorade Player of the Year averaged 19.1 points, 6.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists. County is capable of scoring at all three levels. 247Sports describes County’s IQ as being able to scramble the defense.
“Super great young men, college ready,” said Ross. “I think they’re going to bring a lot more to the table than even what people already think about.”