Mar 23, 2025; Raleigh, NC, USA; Connecticut Huskies forward Alex Karaban (11) drives to the basket during the first half against the Florida Gators in the second round of the NCAA Tournament at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Ranking Drop Sparks Buzz Around Dan Hurley’s UConn Huskies Team

Originally posted on UConn Huskies on SI
By Dylan Feltovich | Last updated Jun 30, 2025 2:00 PM ET

As we continue to approach the 2025-26 college basketball season, the UConn Huskies and Dan Hurley must find a way to repeat their success from last season without the help of a couple key playmakers from the pervious year.

On3Sports' James Fletcher III released his final "way-too-early" rankings for the 2025 college basketball season on Friday, which included Hurley and the Huskies at the No. 17 program heading into the preseason. At this position, UConn is the second-highest rated team in the Big East Conference, with the St. John's Red Storm ahead of the program at the No. 7 spot.

Despite ending the 2024-25 season with a 24-11 record and a top-3 finish in the conference, the Huskies lost multiple key contributors in Liam McNeeley, Samson Johnson and Hassan Diarra. McNeeley was the team's leading scoring last year with 14.5 points per game, while Diarra led with 5.7 assists per game.

Liam McNeeley is selected 29th overall by the @Suns in the 2025 #NBADraft presented by State Farm!

Watch on ABC & ESPN. pic.twitter.com/MtpDQQJaUn
— NBA (@NBA) June 26, 2025

Luckily for Hurley, the program is returning two key veterans in point guard Solomon Ball and forward Alex Karaban, who were UConn's leading scorers outside of McNeeley. In addition to the returners, the Huskies landed former Georgia Bulldogs standout guard Silas Demary Jr. in the transfer portal. The 6-foot-5 rising junior averaged 13.5 points on 39.6 percent shooting from the field last season, which will provide more offensive production in the backcourt.

This article first appeared on UConn Huskies on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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