2026 roster needs | The Boneyard

2026 roster needs

I want a monstrously athletic PF with range. (Super easy to find...)

I also want to take this opportunity to note how much I despise the ridiculous click-baity "Top 25 in 2026" articles coming out right now. I know that outlets need #content, but no one has any idea what any roster is going to look like right now.
 
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You nailed it. Reibe needs another year as a backup. He is well behind Clingan's development trajectory at this point. We need a rim protector.

Need another big guard to help out Silas.

Need the best PF in the country to fill Karaban's shoes.

Fill the rest with huge beefy wings who can shoot and draw fouls. We need size, size, and more size.
 
tuvent08 said:
I want a monstrously athletic PF with range. (Super easy to find...)

I also want to take this opportunity to note how much I despise the ridiculous click-baity "Top 25 in 2026" articles coming out right now. I know that outlets need #content, but no one has any idea what any roster is going to look like right now.
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Agree about the PF spot. Some of those dudes on Michigan looked like linebackers, need size and athletes.
 
Biteymax22 said:
Any validity to this crystal ball on 24/7???

Devin Royal - Ohio State
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This is his 247 scouting report from high school. No clue how it holds up today...

He’s strong, tough, and plays bigger than his size in the paint because he’s physical and smart. He’ll create contact, absorb it, or spin off it. He has bounce around the rim, good hands, and is a very good finisher. He utilizes a similarly physical, bully style when looking to face-up off the dribble, and while his release isn’t necessarily pure, he’s developed himself into a clear shooting threat at the arc. Royal is also a good passer and capable facilitator from various spots on the floor. His footspeed and body type makes him more consistent guarding fours than threes right now. He’s capable of being a high-volume rebounder when he commits to it, but not always totally consistent with that mindset.
 
It is very rare for a guy who came off the bench for 2-3 years to become starting-caliber at the end of his career.

The portal will be critical this year. We need:

  • A rim protecting and rim running center.
  • A physical PF with an outside shot (think a profile like Lendeborg)
  • An experienced backup PG

I assume Mullins is gone. We can start Demary and Ball in the backcourt, Landrew at the 3, and the portal pieces in the frontcourt. Ross and Stewart back up the 2-4, Reibe the 5.
 
aburks41 said:
You nailed it. Reibe needs another year as a backup. He is well behind Clingan's development trajectory at this point. We need a rim protector.

Need another big guard to help out Silas.

Need the best PF in the country to fill Karaban's shoes.

Fill the rest with huge beefy wings who can shoot and draw fouls. We need size, size, and more size.
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We need multiple rim protectors.
 
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I think Ross could start, but wouldn't be surprised if he comes off the bench, but gets starter minutes. He may be a guy that Hurley trusts next season to come in bring some energy, experience and stability.
They need a rim protecting backup 5 and a 4 with positional size.
If Mullins does leave (I think he's gone), they will need to find a sniper (maybe a Joey C type) and a change of pace point guard. I think County is going to be a stud down the line, but I don't think he has elite speed. It would be nice if they can find another backup PG with speed who could also disrupt things on the defensive end.
 
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If it were me I would go for a top tier PG in the portal, a scorer, stretch 4 and an athletic big or 2. I just don't feel Ball or Demiray are legit PG's in their core.

I also wonder what happens with Ross and Stewart. I love em, but they have not quite developed into the players that I think they should be at this time. I mean as to-be Seniors, they should have carved out far more minutes than they have IMO. So the question becomes do you bet on them, or think you can go get better in the portal.

Best Options at each position:

C: I think Somto Cyril or Flory Bidunga are no brainers. Seems like Bidunga is headed to Tex Tech, but Cyril I think would be a great piece.

Scorer: Juke Harris, and I like the Finley Bizjack kid here too - he can kinda moonlight as a PG when needed too - high IQ, High efficiency.

F: JP Estrella could fit the vacancy of Karaban and offer a little more size with the same level of shooting ability. Also kinda like Sananda Fru and his game too.

If you wanted to go get a PG there are a couple good options out there but it seems Hurley prefers guards with size---- but Isaiah Johnson from Colorado and Markus Burton are interesting options. Also got some in-conference options in Acaden Lewis and Vaaks along with Bizjack. Bizjack gives me Cam Spencer vibes.
 
Need SIlas to make a big jump too. He effects the game in a lot of ways, but we need him to score next year. Has to be able to break someone off the dribble. Just wasnt that this year.

We need size.
 
Also as much as people think its dumb - I can see Braylon Mullins returning. The issue is this Guard class in the draft is so incredibly deep. Mullins in most prominent mock drafts is not consistently in the lottery.

Just this year: Darryn Peterson, Aj Dybantsa, Darius Acuff, Keaton Wagler, Kingston Flemmings, Mikel Brown Jr., Brayden Burries, Labaron Philon, Bennett Stirtz, Cam Carr, Tounde Yessoufou, Tyler Tanner

That is just a ton of positional depth. The 2027 draft sets up well for Mullins because its far more wing heavy with just a handful of guards projected as high picks.
 
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Pretty much a like-for-like replacement for whoever is leaving. That said, the point guard needs to be able to drive and score, and the power forward or center should bring significant size. Beyond that, it really comes down to being more consistent with our shot-making - hopefully the returning players make a big jump there.
 
  1. Starting caliber players with athleticism at the 4 and 5.
  2. A scoring wing who is a triple threat type
  3. Backup PG (or starter if necessary)
  4. An additional combo guard who can handle
I love Ross, and he could make another jump, but expecting he can be a starter is scary. Stew kind of had a wasted year with injuries and ineffectiveness. He should be a 10-15mpg tops at this point. He is what he is. Landrew is a very good prospect. But thinking he could be a starter from day one is also scary. The days of retention and development are over. You need big time talent and I think we would be foolish to go into 26-27 without a proven player at the 3. Obviously, this all hinges on Braylon as well.

I’d like to see us diversify our offense a bit with a bit more athleticism and shot makers. At a certain point last night, it was just deep 3 or bust and while it was necessary, I hate that we had to play the championship game like an AAC era Cincinnati team.
 
DCKembaFan said:
A Maryland reporter on 247 put in a Devin Royal to UConn pick. Anyone heard anything?

Edit: whoops missed a couple posts back. Great minds
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This is definitely not nothing, I would assume that he only posts this because he has real evidence that this guy is coming to UConn. No done deal but seems like a good start. As far as the player goes, seems like a great fit, averaged 14 points in the big 10 on a mid tier team last year
 
A starting 4
A starting 5
If no mullins then a starting 3. I don’t expect either Ross or Stewart to contribute much offensively next year. I think they are fine off the bench. Landrews is a frosh so his PT will be limited.
 
I see Ross starting next season. He and Ball know Danny's offense extremely well. Silas will be a vet with Hurley experience.

I just think either Ross or Stewart (to a lesser extent) has earned the right to start 1st practices as a starter. I think Ross has the advantage and will be ready for next season. Just saying with Hurley's intricate offensive sets experience like Ross brings is invaluable.
 
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boog204 said:
  1. Starting caliber players with athleticism at the 4 and 5.
  2. A scoring wing who is a triple threat type
  3. Backup PG (or starter if necessary)
  4. An additional combo guard who can handle
I love Ross, and he could make another jump, but expecting he can be a starter is scary. Stew kind of had a wasted year with injuries and ineffectiveness. He should be a 10-15mpg tops at this point. He is what he is. Landrew is a very good prospect. But thinking he could be a starter from day one is also scary. The days of retention and development are over. You need big time talent and I think we would be foolish to go into 26-27 without a proven player at the 3. Obviously, this all hinges on Braylon as well.

I’d like to see us diversify our offense a bit with a bit more athleticism and shot makers. At a certain point last night, it was just deep 3 or bust and while it was necessary, I hate that we had to play the championship game like an AAC era Cincinnati team.
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Agree with this breakdown and would generally add, we need guys that can create through dribble penetration. This years team was better than 24-25 but still relied too much on sets and this came back to bite us in some of the rock fight games. Need to be more dynamic in that area when 3s aren't falling. A healthy Silas will help but we need more…
 
Per Demary's own comment last night, he's not certain he's coming back and has a "tough decision" to make.

1. In general, we need to raise the bar on our explosiveness/athleticism. That was as unathletic of a good UConn team as we've seen. We were outclassed athletically vs Duke and vs Michigan. St. John's as well. Not just explosiveness but strength too. I think Hurley realized this with his pursuit of a kid like Landrew.

2. A lob threat big. Long, athletic, above-the-rim kid. A role player (we obviously want a stretch 4 to start) but we need this kind of player for certain matchups. Someone who complements Reibe, whether at the 4 or 5. Clingan in '23 or Samson in '24 kind of role. Glue guy. Two ground-bound bigs this year caused issues in some games, despite how much of a beast Reed was. Reibe has some skill but he's as finesse as it gets. I don't think he's a lock to start next year and if we want to compete for a championship it's probably not a good idea to pencil him in as the starter.

3. Another guard who can penetrate. Demary was a bit underwhelming at getting into the paint, even when healthy, and we had redundant guys in Solo and Mullins. In my perfect world Demary is back and we start him and another combo guard at the 1/2 (interchangeably), find a scoring wing, and have Solo off the bench (I know, I know).

4. The wing is a wild card. Ross and Stewart are role players/bench guys. Ross can be a nice sixth man next year. I'm assuming Mullins is gone. Solo at the 3 could work at times but we'd need more size too. I'm not counting on any freshman; they're a bonus if they contribute.

I think the staff will be looking at bringing in three starters, possibly four pending Demary, and there is a world where we're replacing all five. The biggest, most glaring need is our starting 4. No one on the current roster can fill that slot. At least there are possibilities, albeit not great ones in some cases, at every other position.

  • Starting stretch 4
  • Quick guard who can penetrate and is a respectable shooter.
  • Athletic/physically imposing big man (possibly our starting 5)
  • Wing scorer.
 
Not sure yet about undergrad NBA departures or portal departures so its still early.
Obvious needs. Starting caliber 5 /Uber athletic-physical 4/ Big three level scoring wing/ PG depth -potential starter**?/

** Was a little surprised/concerned. by Demary's post game comments about difficult decisions. Hopefully nothing more than NBA feedback vs portal decision. His injury -in a strong draft year-was unfortunate for his NBA aspirations (this year)
 
Kitaman said:
I see Ross starting next season. He and Ball know Danny's offense extremely well. Silas will be a vet with Hurley experience.

I just think either Ross or Stewart (to a lesser extent) has earned the right to start 1st practices as a starter. I think Ross has the advantage and will be ready for next season. Just saying with Hurley's intricate offensive sets experience like Ross brings is invaluable.
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Earned? You earn a starting gig via production, not longevity. Ross definitely showed improvement and had some very good moments. But we’re looking to go back to the FF. He has still not shown the consistency to be a guy you can depend on to be a 10-14ppg scorer as a starting 3. And Stew? He regressed this year and rust, injury, or not, was completely unplayable yesterday with bad fouls and poor shot selection. In nine minutes, he committed three fouls and was 0-3 from the floor.

I think it would be beyond foolish to not seek out an established scoring wing if that spot is open. It’s great to retain guys and have four year players, but with this landscape, you need the best players your $$ can buy.
 
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