Sportingnews
19. Connecticut Huskies
Why they’re here: UConn is another team that’s tough to place right now, with Rodney Purvis, Daniel Hamilton and Amida Brimah all going through the draft evaluation process. Even if all three leave (which doesn’t really seem likely), the Huskies will be solid next year because Jalen Adams is ready for a bigger role after a solid freshman season, and coach Kevin Ollie has a brilliant recruiting class arriving in the fall (Scout.com ranks it seventh in the country).
NBC Sports puts us outside the top 25
SB Nation
18. Connecticut Huskies
2015-16 Record: 25-11
2015-16 Finish: Second Round
Connecticut was something of an underachiever in 2015-16, but they'll have an opportunity to rectify that so long as
Rodney Purvis, Daniel Hamilton and
Amida Brimah all come back.
Jalen Adams will also step into a much larger role as a sophomore, and then there's also that top five recruiting class that Kevin Ollie is bringing in.
USA Today
10. UConn Huskies (25-11, 11-7)
There's a good chance Daniel Hamilton and Rodney Purvis will both be back for coach Kevin Ollie, who's hauled in an impressive freshman class. This team will be the cream of the crop in the American Athletic Conference. Hamilton, in particular, is a special talent, averaging 12.5 points, 8.9 rebounds and 4.7 rebounds a game. He'll gauge his NBA future with the new rules, but a return could forecast a Buddy Hield-like rise as a junior. His 32 points in a 4-overtime win against Cincinnati in the AAC tournament is just a glimpse of his takeover abilities.
► Recruiting grade: A. The No. 6 recruiting class features a high-motor players and a star in the making in McDonald’s All American Alterique Gilbert, who comes from a dominant high school program in Miller Grove (Lithonia, Ga.).
Campus Insider
17. Connecticut Huskies
Kevin Ollie welcomes a pair of top-30 freshmen to a roster that already is in pretty good shape. If forward Daniel Hamilton returns and VCU transfer Terry Larrier makes his presence felt, the Huskies are going to be a favorite.
Bleacher Report
17. Connecticut
Why They're Here:The Connecticut program is one that likes to feature a two-point guard attack, and head coach Kevin Ollie will be able to do so next season with the addition of freshman point guard Alterique Gilbert to go along with Jalen Adams. Both players are strong off the bounce, and Ollie is going to be able to spread the floor with creators, especially if he plays Daniel Hamilton as a small-ball forward.
The Huskies are always one of the stingier defenses in the country, and they figure to be better offensively with the addition of Gilbert, who is more of a true point guard than Adams.
Will Change If...Hamilton and center Amida Brimah decide to stay in the NBA draft. Both players have declared but haven't hired agents. Brimah wasn't as consistent as the Huskies hoped he would be in his junior season, and he missed 11 games after breaking a finger on his right hand.
Expect both players to return to school.