The UConn men’s basketball team’s opening night will have a different look this year, as the prospect of a third banner drop in a row will not occur. 

This raises the question: What’s there to look forward to this season? 

After falling to the University of Florida Gators, 77-75, in the Round of 32 of the NCAA tournament, head coach Dan Hurley faced roster changes. The program lost eight players from the 2024-2025 team via transferring, exhausting collegiate eligibility and declaring for the 2025 NBA draft. However, during an interview with 60 Minutes in March 2025, the two-time champ revealed that he foresaw this problem. 

“50 percent of my roster or more is considering going in the [transfer] portal, if not already know what school they’re going to,” Hurley said.  

Key Departures: 

Liam McNeeley – NBA draft 

Hassan Diarra – Collegiate eligibility 

Samson Johnson – Collegiate eligibility 

Ahmad Nowell – Transferred to Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) 

Isaiah Abraham – Transferred to Georgetown University 

Aidan Mahaney – Transferred to UC Santa Barbara (UCSB) 

Youssouf Singare – Transferred to High Point University 

Souleymane Diaby – Did not rejoin the team 

With integral teammates leaving, Hurley prepared for the future by signing several star players. 

New Additions: 

Braylon Mullins, Freshman, Guard: 

The five-star recruit committed to Connecticut on Oct. 23. The 19-year-old McDonald’s All-American averaged 22 points, just over five and a half rebounds, nearly three assists and a little under three steals per game within four years at Greenfield Central High School. 

Eric Reibe, Freshman, Center: 

The German native signed with the Huskies on Oct. 16. The freshman helped secure a silver medal for Germany in the 2025 Fédération Internationale de Basketball (FIBA) U-19 World Cup. The McDonald’s All-American accumulated about 15 and a half points, five boards and a little over one and a half assists per clash in nearly 24 minutes.  

Jacob Furphy, Freshman, Guard: 

Jacob Furphy inked with Connecticut on Nov. 17. The 19-year-old also performed in the U-19 FIBA World Cup, representing Australia. Furphy logged almost 17 points, a little more than four rebounds and nearly two and a half assists and a bit over two steals per contest. 

Jacob Ross, Freshman, Forward: 

Jacob Ross, the younger brother of Jayden Ross, committed to UConn on May 8. Before joining the program, the three-star recruit will spend a season at SoCal Academy in Castaic, California. 

Silas Demary Jr., Junior, Guard: 

Silas Demary Jr. transferred from the University of Georgia Bulldogs to the Huskies on April 3. In the Bulldogs’ 2024-2025 campaign, the North Carolina native contributed 13 and a half points, just under four boards and a little more than three assists per matchup. 

Malachi Smith, Redshirt Senior, Guard: 

Malachi Smith joined the team on April 14, after spending four years with the University of Dayton Flyers. In the 2024-2025 stretch, the 25-year-old recorded nearly 10 and a half points, slightly under three rebounds and a little more than five assists per outing. 

Dwayne Koroma, Redshirt Senior, Forward: 

Dwayne Koroma played at Iona University (2020-2021), Salt Lake Community College (2021-2023), the University of Texas at Arlington (2023-2024), Le Moyne College (2024-2025) and now lands with Connecticut. With Le Moyne, Koroma registered 11 and a half points, just over seven boards and two assists per game. 

Alec Millender, Redshirt Senior, Guard: 

Alec Millender played with the Indiana University Indianapolis Jaguars in the 2024-2025 season, averaging a little over eight points, nearly two rebounds and slightly under four assists per meeting. 

Uroš Paunović, Redshirt, Guard: 

Uroš Paunović joined the program on Aug. 18, 2025, after balling in Serbia. The 20-year-old saw about 22 minutes, scoring nearly nine points, just under three boards and a little more than two assists per match in the Adriatic League 2. 

Rrezon Elezaj, Freshman, Center: 

Rrezon Elezai inked with UConn on Aug. 18, after performing with the Turkey national team program. With Besiktas in the Turkey U-19 League, the 7-foot-1 big man dropped a little more than seven and a half points, just under six rebounds and slightly over one and a half blocks per clash. 

Upcoming Games: 

UConn vs. Florida: 

UConn fans should circle Dec. 9 on the calendar as a 2025 Round of 32 rematch, featuring the Huskies and Gators, will happen at the Jimmy V Classic at Madison Square Garden. Fans can tune into the battle at 9 p.m. on ESPN. 

UConn vs. St John’s University: 

The rivalry between the two respected head coaches (Hurley and Rick Pitino) is just beginning. Since Pitino joined the Johnnies as the head coach on March 20, 2023, Connecticut traded in-conference play sweeps with the team, owning a 3-2 record between 2023-2025. As St John’s continues building talent, seeing these two programs face off will be like watching a movie. 

The Huskies travel to the Mohegan Sun Arena for an exhibition match against Boston College on Monday, Oct. 13, at 7 p.m. The regular season tip-off is scheduled for Nov. 3 versus the New Haven Chargers.