Weekly throughout the summer, the BIG EAST will check-in with each of its 11 men's basketball programs. Highlighted by a one-on-one interview with each head coach and NBC Sports' John Fanta, the BIG EAST Summer Check-In Series will cover a wide range of topics from roster changes, highlights from summer workouts, and scheduling updates.
This week, the Summer Check-In series features a conversation with UConn head coach Dan Hurley. Fresh off a third trip to the national title game in the last four seasons, Hurley enters year nine in Storrs with a familiar storyline - replacing veteran leadership in the locker room while developing the next group of Huskies aiming to cut down the nets in 2026-27.
“I think it makes the culture stronger and it increases the belief and trust in how we do things, how hard we do things, how hard we work, and the commitment we demand. There's more evidence that if you continue to buy into this very intense, kind of spartan lifestyle of basketball development and practice - obsessing over it, living it every single day with us - that the payoff is potentially going to be there for you.
You'll experience all of the great things you can as a player in college basketball, deep tournament runs. And then that other aspect, which these kids and their families all want, which is the best chance to hear their name called and an opportunity to live the dream.”
Head Coach Dan Hurley on what the UConn Legacy means to his current players
UConn's 2026-27 Scheduling
“Those are the games that are probably the least stressful for me because you don't get hurt by losing them and you have a lot to gain by winning them, making the NCAA Tournament and playing for seeding. When you stack wins like that, like we did last year and like we did in 2024 and 2023 - and even in 2025 when we had a bad BIG EAST campaign - winning games like that in your non-conference puts you in the tournament comfortably where you don't have to worry about the stress of the bubble. You're playing for seeding the whole year once you win those, or at least win enough of them. You don't have be perfect, you just have to win your fair share of them. And you're fighting for attention and interest in college basketball that time of year.
We have a responsibility - I think, as coaches - to play games that are going to bring attention to college basketball, going to drive ratings, and continue to create exciting matchups beyond just March Madness. Everybody loves March Madness but we've got to get people to tune into college at other points of the year besides that.”
Hurley on playing one of the toughest non-conference schedules again in 2026-27
Notable 2026-27 Non-Conference Matchups:
- Nov. 6 vs. Michigan (Boston)
- Nov. 25 vs. Duke (Las Vegas)
- Dec. 4 vs. Illinois (Chicago)
- Dec. 12 vs. Kansas
- TBA at Arizona
UConn's 2026-27 Roster
Bolstered by the return of All-BIG EAST First Team selection Silas Demary Jr. and sophomore sharpshooter Braylon Mullins, the Huskies add seven transfers and three highly rated freshmen to its 2026-27 roster. Demary was the league's top assist man a season ago, averaging better than 7.0 dimes per game in league play, while Mullins showed glimpses of his star power throughout his rookie campaign. Joining UConn's rotation this season are a trio of impact transfers in Nik Khamenia (Duke), Na'jai Hines (Seton Hall), and Nils Machowski (Wofford) - joining true freshmen Junior County, Colben Landrew, and Egor Amosov.
Transfers
"Number one, we're looking for players in the portal that mirror some of the traits and qualities that past players have had that that have been successful here. We have a very specific way of how we play and we need a very specific type of human being that is going to be able to handle the workload and the demands and the pressure of playing at a place like UConn, where anything short of seasons like we've been having feel like failures."
Hurley on what character traits he was looking for in the portal for the 2026-27 roster
#4 Nik Khamenia - So. - F - 6-8 - 225 - Tarzana, Calif.
- Five-star ranked transfer from Duke ranked No. 38 overall by EvanMiya.com; 2024-25 McDonald's All-American
- Saw action in 38 games for the Blue Devils in 2025-26, making five starts; averaged 5.7 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.1 assists in nearly 20 minutes per game
"When you're losing a player of Alex Karaban's value and ability, you know you need to bring in a transfer that's gonna be ready to start right away and make an impact right away, at or near that level. Who is that four-man with a versatile skill set that can process the game well, has all-around skills to play in our offense, which is a little bit different and a little bit complex? That draws me to Nik Khamenia - it's eerie to look at him, they actually stood next to each other in the circle because Alex came back to work out with the team - and they are literally the same size and the skill set is very, very similar."
Hurley on how he envisions Nik Khamenia's role this season for UConn
#7 Jaye Nash - Jr. - G - 6-2 - 193 - Memphis, Tenn.
- Three-star ranked transfer from Jacksonville State; fifth in assists in Conference USA in 2025-26
- Appeared in 32 games (15 starts) last year, averaging 5.1 points, 4.0 assists, and 2.8 rebounds; posted a 2.2:1 assist/turnover mark at JSU
#9 Na'jai Hines - So. - C - 6-11 - 278 - Plainfield, N.J.
- Five-star ranked transfer from Seton Hall ranked No. 13 overall by EvanMiya.com; led BIG EAST in blocks as a freshman (2.2) and was 25th most impactful center per EvanMiya BPR
- Saw 18 minutes of playing time per game as a freshman at SHU, averaging 6.5 points, 5.5 boards, and 2.2 blocks; notched four double-doubles for the Pirates in 2025-26
"At the center spot, what is important to us? Rim protection, a guy that can dominate around the basket, a guy that can be great in the screening game - on-ball and off-ball - a guy that is going to eat glass, and it leads to you to a center like Najai Hines."
Hurley on what drew him to transfer center Na'jai Hines
#18 Oskar Giltay - So. - C - 6-11 - 240 - Bilzen, Belgium
- Four-star ranked transfer (EvanMiya.com) from Stanford; Rated sixth-most impactful defensive freshman big per EvanMiya BPR
- Played in 32 contests for the Cardinal (five starts), averaging 3.5 points and 4.1 rebounds in less than 15 minutes per outing; connected on nearly 63% of his shot attempts from the floor
"We wanted to have a complimentary center that brings a different skill set, a guy that brings more speed, more mobility, and a different look at center and you get a guy like Oskar Giltay from Stanford to compliment Hines."
Hurley on Oskar Giltay's skill set at the center position
#21 Nils Machowski - Sr. - G - 6-4 - 190 - Berlin, Germany
- Four-star ranked transfer (EvanMiya.com) from Wofford; 2025-26 All-SoCon Second Team selection had three 30-point performances last season
- Averaged 17.2 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 2.6 assists for the Terriers, knocking down 91 3-pointers at a 38.2% clip a year ago
"He's got a lot of game and a lot in his offensive bag. You're looking for people who fit the way you plan and players that have been successful in terms of the skill set. A guy like a movement shooting, where there are some elements of a player like Jordan Hawkins, as a guy who can run off screens and shoot it. Or a Joey Calcaterra, who was a valuable, valuable player on the 2023 team. Or a guy that can play a little bit of combo guard like a Cam Spencer. I'm not saying he's Cam Spencer or Jordan Hawkins, but he's got elements of what those guys did in terms of how they played offensively."
Hurley on the offensive impact of transfer guard Nils Machowski
#29 Elmir Dzafic - So. - 7-0 - 276 - Tinja, Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Transfer from Arkansas saw action in seven contests with the Razorbacks in 2025-26
- Prior to college basketball, spent two seasons with KK Bosna Royal in Sarajevo in the BIH Liga
#33 Isaiah Shaw - Sr. - 6-8 - 207 - Phoenix, Ariz.
- Saw action in 29 games (22 starts) with Northern Arizona in 2025-26, averaging 8.1 points and 2.1 boards
- Connected on nearly 47% of his 3-point attempts (32-69); spent three seasons (2021-24) playing for his uncle Bryce Drew at Grand Canyon
Freshmen
#0 Junior County - Fr. - G - 6-5 - 205 - Highland Park, Utah
- Composite four-star rated recruit who ranked No. 42 on ESPN NEXT; averaged 19.1 points, 6.2 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.2 blocks as a senior
- 2026 Gatorade Utah Player of the Year shined with Wasatch Academy, guiding his team to the Nike EYBL Scholastic semifinals
#3 Colben Landrew - Fr. - F - 6-6 - 236 - McComb, Miss.
- Consensus five-star rated recruit; averaged 23.9 points, 6.5 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 1.8 steals as a senior at Wheeler H.S.
- 2025-26 Gatorade Georgia Player of the Year and Atlanta Tipoff Club Mr. Georgia Basketball awardwinner; played with Team USA at the FIBA U18 AmeriCup in June
#17 Egor Amosov - Fr. - F - 6-8 - 236 - Samara, Russia
- Joins the Huskies after playing with Real Madrid in the Spanish Liga U (U22); league Player of the Year, averaging 14.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 2.5 steals in 30 games
- Prior to playing in Spain, spent three seasons with BC Samara in Russia, playing 42 games with the senior club in the VTB United League
Returnees
#1 Solo Ball - Sr. - G - 6-4 - 190 - Leesburg, Va.
- Will miss the 2026-27 season due to injury (wrist); was a 2025-26 All-BIG EAST Second Team selection, leading UConn in scoring 11 times
- Started 39 of 40 games for the Huskies last season; Finalist for the Jerry West Award (top shooting guard in America)
"Solo is doing great. I think this year will benefit him greatly. He's a legacy player here at UConn. He's a player that's synonymous with the brand. He's had an amazing career here already - he's a National Champion and has another National Championship appearance on his resume - with some all-time shooting numbers already in terms of what he's done from the 3-point line. I think this year off and his time away will put him in position to develop those aspects as a guard and come back as a complete guard and a complete player. He'll go down as an all-time great at UConn and he'll be the next in line as a drafted NBA player at UConn."
Hurley on Solo Ball's progress following offseason wrist surgery
#5 Silas Demary Jr. - Sr. - G - 6-4 - 191 - Raleigh, N.C.
- One of the top point guards in the country returns for his second season in Storrs; 2025-26 All-BIG EAST First Team and All-Defensive selection
- Started 39 of 40 games en route to the Huskies run to the National Title game; his 6.0 assists per game led the BIG EAST (7.4 apg in league play)
"Silas has established himself as the best point guard in the country - if not, one of the best. He's established himself as a guy that is going to be either returning to college on a fifth-year with that rule passing or playing to a level where he's got a guaranteed NBA contract. It's making a hard decision between going back to college for a fifth year because the NIL makes a lot of sense these days, or you're in that Karaban spot where you've got guaranteed contracts waiting because you've played at that level. I think he was close last year, there was a point in the year - maybe it was February - where he was our most efficient player on the team. The high-ankle sprain in the BIG EAST Tournament affected his NCAA Tournament. He was a shell of himself the entire tournament."
Hurley on Silas Demary Jr.'s impact as one of the top point guards in the country
#13 Jacob Ross - So. - F - 6-6 - 203 - Bristow, Va.
- Did not appear in game action during the 2025-26 season
#23 Jayden Ross - Sr. - F - 6-7 - 210 - Bristow, Va.
- Saw action in 38 games off the bench, averaging 4.6 points, 2.5 rebounds in 18 minutes per game; had seven points and three boards vs. Illinois in the National Semifinal game
- Valuable sixth-man connected on nearly 51% from the floor and 40% from 3-point land in 2025-26
#24 Braylon Mullins - So. - G - 6-6 - 198 - Greenfield, Ind.
- Unanimous BIG EAST All-Freshman selection in 2025-26 returns for sophomore season in Storrs poised to rank among top players in the country
- Averaged 12.0 points, 3.5 boards, and 1.4 assists per game; connected on 72 3-pointers as a rookie a year ago, including iconic 35-footer with 0.3 seconds left to propel Huskies to third Final Four in four seasons
"The presence on the court, the maturity that way. Him playing more like a leading man, asserting himself, playing with more emotion and a greater presence in terms of how he carries himself - his stature in the game. Carrying himself like 'I'm one of the best players in the country, I'm a top 10 pick, I'm a killer.' From a personality standpoint, seeing that growth in his basketball personality. Tangibly as a player, getting him on the ball more, putting the ball in his hands more, getting him playing more like a guard and less like a shooting guard. I think the guy has a ton of game and he's explosive.
He hasn't really shown all of his abilities here, partially because the team was so balanced and partially because we haven't quite unleashed everything this guy can do yet. He's an exciting player and he's going to put up some volcanic eruption-type of games next year - 38 (points) and deep threes and above the rim. I think the kid is going to be box office next year."
Hurley on his expectations of Braylon Mullins' second season in Storrs and his maturation on the court
Departures
- Malachi Smith - G - eligibility expired; Jaylin Stewart - F - transfer; Dwayne Koroma - F - eligibility expired; Tarris Reed Jr. - C - NBA Draft; Jacob Furphy - G - transfer; Alec Millender - G - eligibility expired; Rrezon Elezaj - C - transfer; Alex Karaban - F - NBA Draft; Eric Reibe - C - transfer; Uros Paunovic - G - transfer
By The Numbers
18-2 - The Huskies are 18-2 over their last 20 NCAA Tournament games, tied with two others for the best 20-game Big Dance run this century
86-30 - UConn has recorded the best record in BIG EAST play since 2020-21 and posted two of the four highest conference win totals in league history
7.4 - Silas Demary Jr. led the BIG EAST in assists per game during conference play, a mark 1.5 per game higher than his total season average