UConn basketball roster 2026 has new frontcourt and title buzz
CBS Sports projects Dan Hurley’s Huskies to reload around Silas Demary Jr. and Braylon Mullins after major roster and staff turnover.
By Georgia Hale · Staff Writer
3 min read
The UConn basketball roster 2026 picture is all churn and still somehow all ambition. CBS Sports’ Isaac Trotter projects Dan Hurley’s Huskies to enter 2026-27 with national title hopes despite losing three starters, three rotation players and two assistant coaches from a team coming off its third Final Four trip in four years.
The staff turnover is not small, either. Trotter reported that longtime assistant Tom Moore retired, while Luke Murray left to become head coach at Boston College.
Who is in UConn basketball's 2026 starting lineup?
CBS Sports projects a starting five of Silas Demary Jr. at point guard, Braylon Mullins at guard, Jayden Ross on the wing, Nik Khamenia at forward and Na’jai Hines at center.
Demary is framed by Trotter as the new tone-setter with Alex Karaban off to the NBA. CBS Sports noted that Demary led Big East play in assists at 5.9 per game, took more than 40% of his shots at the rim and ranked fourth in the league in free throw rate.
Mullins, a sophomore, is expected to take on a larger shooting role after averaging 12.1 points and starting 29 games last season, according to CBS Sports. Trotter reported that Mullins passed on the NBA and has added more than 10 pounds after a preseason ankle injury disrupted part of his freshman year.
Ross gives UConn more size and defense on the perimeter. CBS Sports cited UConn’s plus-23 net rating with Ross, Demary and Mullins sharing the court, placing that lineup in the 98th percentile nationally.
Khamenia, a former five-star recruit who transferred from Duke, is projected as the stretch forward. Trotter wrote that his passing, processing and spot-up shooting fit Hurley’s offense, though the adjustment to UConn’s system could take time.
Hines, the Seton Hall transfer, is the big man swing piece. CBS Sports reported that he averaged 2.2 blocks and 2.4 offensive rebounds in 18 minutes per game as a freshman, and that Bart Torvik’s database shows him as the only player in the last 19 seasons with both an offensive rebound rate and block rate above 15.0.
How deep is UConn's bench?
CBS Sports lists freshman forward Colben Landrew, Stanford transfer center Oskar Giltay, freshman guard Junior County, freshman forward Egor Amosov, Jacksonville State transfer Jaye Nash and Wofford transfer Nils Machowski as the main bench options.
Landrew, a top-30 recruit, is described by Trotter as a candidate to push for starter-level minutes because of his size and versatility. Giltay is expected to back up Hines, while Nash, County and Machowski are described as competing for reserve guard minutes.
Solo Ball remains the roster’s wild card. CBS Sports reported that the two-year starting shooting guard is currently expected to miss the season after wrist surgery, though the NCAA’s new 5-in-5 eligibility model could affect his decision because injury redshirts are not expected to exist under that system.
Can UConn contend again?
FanDuel listed UConn at +1200 to win the NCAA Tournament, the third-best odds cited by CBS Sports. Trotter’s outlook centers on whether the new frontcourt can hold up while Demary and Mullins drive a backcourt with high-end potential.
The Huskies’ case, according to CBS Sports, starts with defense at every level: Demary on the ball, Ross on the wing and Hines at the rim. If Hines becomes an All-Big East caliber center and Khamenia settles in at power forward, Trotter wrote that UConn has a path to win the national championship.
This story draws on original reporting from CBS Sports.