UConn was a solid team last year, but did not play to its full potential. They lost three starters but return one of the favorites for Big East Player of the Year and a do-it-all wing, as well as bring in a trio of high-impact guards via the transfer portal. Head coach Dan Hurley has another promising team in Storrs.
You can view the previous team in my rankings here.
Preseason College Basketball Rankings: #24 Connecticut Huskies
UConn returns two starters in Adama Sanogo and Andre Jackson Jr. Sanogo is a classic, great Big East big man. He is a great inside scorer, rebounder, and shot blocker. Sanogo was a finalist for the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar award last season and could win it this year. He is one of the favorites for Big East Player of the Year and is in for a massive junior season. Jackson, meanwhile, can really do it all out on the wing. He put up solid numbers in every category a season ago and could be even better this year.
A third major returner in Jordan Hawkins, who is looked at as a breakout candidate, is back as well. The number one player in the state of Maryland in the 2021 class played well for the Huskies last year as a freshman. Samson Johnson was a top 60 recruit coming out of high school last year but played very little as a freshman. He is another guy that could take a step forward this year and could start if Dan Hurley wants some extra size in that fifth lineup spot. Either way he will have a much bigger role in his second year in Storrs.
Donovan Clingan is the lone member of the Huskies’ recruiting class. The seven-foot-one center has a lot of promise. He will not have a huge role as a freshman due to the presence of Adama Sanogo. But he is still a luxury to have. Being able to put in a seven-footer when Sanogo needs a rest is a great thing to have.
Danny Hurley was able to completely rebuild his backcourt after losing R.J. Cole, Tyrese Martin, and Jalen Gaffney. Former Virginia Tech shooting guard Nahiem Alleyne is a potential starter if Hurley decides to go with a four-guard lineup instead of more size. His numbers dropped off a tad for what was, in my opinion, a very disappointing Virginia Tech team. But he is still a career 38.7% three-point shooter. Texas A&M transfer Hassan Diarra is arguably one of the best backup point guards in the country. The biggest prize is Tristen Newton, an ECU transfer. He has steadily improved in each of his three seasons in college, but really broke out last year. He was great for the Pirates and could be one of the best point guards in the Big East right off the bat.
Projected Lineup:
C – Adama Sanogo (14.8 PPG, 8.8 RPG, 1.0 APG, 0.9 SPG, 1.9 BPG)
PF – Samson Johnson (1.7 PPG, 1.1 RPG, 0.0 APG, 0.1 SPG, 0.2 BPG)
G – Andre Jackson Jr. (6.8 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 3.1 APG, 1.2 SPG, 0.6 BPG)
SG – Jordan Hawkins (5.8 PPG, 2.0 RPG, 0.5 APG, 0.3 SPG, 0.3 BPG)
PG – Tristen Newton (17.7 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 5.0 APG, 1.4 SPG, 0.3 BPG at ECU)
