Coming off of a national title, Connecticut lost three critical players in Jordan Hawkins, Adama Sanogo and Andre Jackson Jr. And yet, that still won’t stop the Huskies from being a consensus top-10 team. Why? The work the Connecticut staff has done on the recruiting trail and in the portal mixed with three terrific returning stars.
Graduate transfer Cam Spencer is the critical addition in Storrs. Spencer is 6-foot-4 and might not be able to dunk, but he’s one of the best shooters in all of college basketball. Beyond that, he also brings a versatile game. He’s an underrated defender within a team concept, coming from a top-five defensive team last year at Rutgers. And don’t be surprised to see him running point at times along with Tristen Newton and newcomer Stephon Castle. Much like last year, the Huskies have a bevy of ballhandling options. Castle has the highest upside of the group, as the big 6-foot-6 guard is elite in ball screens and has been great on defense early for Connecticut at the point of attack, using his length to frustrate the opposition.
Still, the key here is the man in the middle. Donovan Clingan should be a preseason All-American and should be one of the preseason frontrunners for national defensive player of the year along with Creighton’s Ryan Kalkbrenner. The 7-foot-2 big completely shuts off the paint defensively and was incredibly productive on offense on a per-minute basis last year. As he steps into a bigger role, Connecticut should maintain an elite defense. Alex Karaban is the perfect complement for Clingan as a stretch-four shooter who is mobile defensively, and Newton should be an even steadier hand in his second season with the Huskies.
Really, the only question for Connecticut is its depth. First and foremost, it needs to find an answer at center behind Clingan. Samson Johnson should get the first crack, and his athleticism should similarly allow the Huskies to run versatile defensive coverages depending on the situation, much like they did with Sanogo. The team will also rely a lot on freshmen to come in and play solid minutes. The best player thus far among the group has been Jayden Ross, a 6-foot-6 wing who can really fill it up from 3. But Solomon Ball and Jaylin Stewart are both also terrific, four-star recruits who figure to emerge throughout the year.
