By Joe Budzelek (@JBudzelek)
STORRS, Conn. — UConn opened the doors to its practice Friday, providing an early look at a roster that features ten newcomers, seven of which are underclassmen.
While the the team will be led by all-Big East first team and all-defensive team selection Silas Demary, Jr., all-freshman team selection and March hero Braylon Mullins, and dynamic jack-of-all-trades senior Jayden Ross, there are still plenty of questions surrounding how Dan Hurley will put the pieces together. However, the open practice at the Werth Center offered an early glimpse at what each newcomer could bring to the team that will, yet again, have national championship aspirations.
Sophomore transfers Nikolas Khamenia and Najai Hines are two newcomers with the clearest roles on UConn’s roster, as they are expected to fill the starting spots vacated by recent graduates and NBA Draft picks Alex Karaban and Tarris Reed, Jr., respectively.
Before transferring from Duke, the 6-foot-8, 225-pound Khamenia was a consensus five-star recruit who split time between the small and power forward positions during his freshman season under Jon Scheyer. His two-way versatility and impressive frame, however, make him a natural fit at power forward for UConn.
“Nik’s had maybe the best summer of anybody, and I think he just has this confidence that has taken off,” Hurley said. “It’s like everything has just clicked for him seamlessly. It’s rare that you can replace a guy like Alex Karaban, because what Alex accomplished is tough for anybody to replicate. But the thing he shares with Alex, which is great, is Alex’s greatest attribute: His work rate, commitment and this absolute obsession with basketball.”
“He could never get enough shots. He could never be in the weight room long enough. He could never watch enough film, just his competitive stamina and his stamina to obsess over basketball. Karaban had that, and that’s like two or three people in your whole career as a coach that you come across that have that. Nikolas has the shooting, the cutting, the passing, the ability to do multiple things on offense. I think he’s got a chance to be a good defensive player. I think he’s a perfect archetype for what we do in that spot.”
One of the more impressive newcomers during Friday’s scrimmage, Khamenia showcased a quick first step and, like Karaban, moved seamlessly without the ball in half-court sets. Despite modest counting numbers during his freshman season, it is easy to see why UConn is so high on Khamenia’s immediate potential.
In a similar vein to Reed and Adama Sanogo, the 6-foot-11, 278-pound Hines represents the archetype of the modern UConn big. The Seton Hall transfer combines an imposing physical frame with dancer-like fluidity in his footwork, soft hands around the basket and elite length that could make him one of the Big East’s most dangerous rim protectors.
Considering Hines averaged just 18 minutes per game during his freshman season at Seton Hall, it was no surprise to see him play heavy minutes in Friday’s scrimmage. The extended run provided an early test of his improving conditioning, an important component of his ability to maximize his versatility on both ends of the floor and in transition.
“Najai is a strong individual, and he’s got natural athleticism,” Hurley said. “He just understands sports. He’s one of those guys (where) you could put him at shortstop or center field on a baseball diamond, you could throw him in at safety or quarterback and he’d make a five-step drop look natural. He’s just a natural athlete. There’s also a maturity level and professionalism to him. He’s bought all the way into our culture and the way we play.”
“Obviously, with a guy like Najai, you look at Adama, you look at Tarris, you look at Donovan (Clingan). There are attributes of all three of those guys in him. We’ve gotta figure out the best way to utilize him because he’s got as much talent as almost any of those guys.”
Hines headlines a center group that includes two other sophomore transfers in Stanford expatriate Oskar Giltay and Arkansas’ Elmir Dzafic. Entering Friday’s practice, there were rumors that UConn was in the mix for Villanova transfer Duke Brennan, but Hurley squashed those rumors after sharing that, despite the ruling that has created an extra year of eligibility for dozens of previously graduated players, UConn has completed its roster for this coming season.
Known for his blue-collar toughness following his freshman season under Kyle Smith at Stanford, Giltay boasts excellent length that makes him a consistent factor not only in rim protection, but also in clogging passing lanes in off-ball defense. Looking more confident and productive as practice continued, Giltay’s offense was particularly impressive in pick-and-roll settings and when scoring off cuts to the basket.
“I was impressed with Oskar today, based on the fact that he missed six weeks,” Hurley said. “This was really his first live run and his first time running with the team, and he was able to be productive.”
More of a developmental and depth piece, Dzafic is UConn’s biggest player, listed at seven feet and weighing 276 pounds. While he still has plenty to learn, particularly when it comes to getting comfortable with the ball in his hands and processing the intricacies of Hurley’s system, he more than held his own battling Hines on the defensive end. At the very least, even if Dzafic earns limited minutes during the season, he should be a valuable practice piece for the Huskies thanks to his willingness to battle with Hines and Giltay every day in practice.
Power wing Colben Landrew, combo guard Junior County and forward Egor Amosov represent UConn’s freshman class that will look to make an immediate impact in the team’s rotation. Getting looks in both on and off-ball half-court sets during the practice’s scrimmage, Hurley lauded County, the 6-foot-5, 205-pound guard who will likely serve as Demary’s understudy at the point guard position.
“Junior is one of the most prepared freshmen to come in here,” Hurley said. “He’s one of those recruits where you just love the way he comes in, and he probably stands out more than anyone.”
Blessed with a strong frame that could create physical mismatches at the guard spot, particularly if he earns minutes backing up Demary, County looked poised and fearless while leading the offense. His highlight of the scrimmage came on a coast-to-coast bucket off a defensive rebound, when he powered through the paint to finish at the rim against a defending Hines.
Landrew is a five-star recruit who has generated buzz on early 2027 NBA Draft boards, and it is easy to see why. How often does a 6-foot-6, 236-pound wing combine a pass rusher’s ability to hit the hole with the guard skills to create off the bounce?
Like many freshmen going through their first summer of college workouts, Landrew has had to adjust to the physical and mental demands of the college game. With Hurley also repeatedly highlighting how impressive Jayden Ross has been throughout the summer, Landrew could begin the season in a reserve role as he continues to acclimate to the college grind.
“Colben is as talented as those early entry guys who went into the draft, but this is the hardest thing he’s ever done in his life,” Hurley said. “He’s going through that right now. As his body, his mind and his emotions learn how to handle that, he’ll be able to unleash all of the ability that he has.”
Amosov arrives at UConn after spending last season with Real Madrid, where he was named Liga U Player of the Year after averaging 14.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 2.5 steals per game while helping Los Blancos win the inaugural youth league championship. Before joining Real Madrid, the 6-foot-8, 236-pounder spent three seasons with BC Samara in his home country of Russia.
The newest addition to UConn’s roster, Amosov immediately impressed Friday, knocking down streaks of uncontested threes before highlighting the scrimmage by blocking a Khamenia shot and then hitting a transition three on the ensuing possession.
“For us, we were looking for skill at that four spot because it really helps our spacing,” Hurley said. “Egor has legitimate strength at about 235 pounds. He’s got really good instincts, and he’s a fun player. He’s a young guy who came in here late, and that was probably part of what took us so long with the roster.”
Looking at the depth chart, Amosov slots behind Khamenia as the team’s backup power forward, but it would not be surprising to see the two forwards share the floor as a versatile combination or even in small-ball lineups.
Rounding out the newcomers are a trio of upperclassman transfers: combo guard Nils Machowski from Wofford, point guard Jaye Nash from Jacksonville State — both entering their third years of college basketball — and floor-spacing graduate transfer forward Isaiah Shaw from Northern Arizona.
Machowski was one of Friday’s most impressive performers, as the 6-foot-4, 190-pound combo guard showcased an elite motor and persistent, almost Mullins-esque movement off the ball in half-court settings. Playing primarily as Wofford’s third guard last season, Machowski brings the versatility to play all three guard spots in a pinch. A versatile offensive weapon, he averaged 17.2 points, 2.6 assists and 2.8 three-pointers made per game while shooting 38.2 percent from deep, leading Hurley to compare him to several of the fan favorite transfer additions from years past.
“Obviously, there are adjustments Nils has got to make learning a new system, but he’s a talented guy and he’s a veteran,” Hurley said. “There’s some Joey California there. There’s some Cam Spencer there. He has some of the attributes those versatile guards had. He can shoot, he can put the ball on the floor, and he’s got some athleticism. He got to the rim today, he had a goaltend in practice, and he was blocking shots from the weak side. There’s a lot of talent there. It’s just getting comfortable.”
Hurley mentioned that he wants to begin the season with a nine-man rotation, and Machowski’s versatility and aggressiveness on both ends of the floor should earn him a steady role from the jump.
Similar to Alec Millender last year, Jaye Nash is a veteran guard who will ostensibly serve as the team’s third-string point guard, but his intensity and tone-setting leadership could make him one of the veteran voices both on and off the court.
The grandson of legendary Valparaiso head coach Homer Drew and son of current Grand Canyon assistant Casey Shaw, 6-foot-8, 207-pound graduate transfer Isaiah Shaw provides frontcourt depth and floor spacing after shooting 46.4 percent from three-point range last season. His basketball IQ was evident Friday through his decisive movement in half-court sets, while his intensity on the bench should make him a fiery tone setter during games. Shaw could earn spot minutes at either forward position as a deep reserve.
For all the individual intrigue surrounding UConn’s ten newcomers, the bigger question will be how Hurley ultimately pieces them together. The Huskies have no shortage of talent, versatility or positional options, but with seven underclassmen among the newcomers, there will inevitably be a learning curve as they adjust to the demands of playing at UConn. Friday’s open practice, however, offered plenty of reasons for optimism, from Khamenia’s versatility and Hines’ physicality to Landrew’s athleticism, Amosov’s shooting and Machowski’s veteran presence.
How quickly those pieces come together, particularly the development of the sophomore centers, will go a long way toward determining whether this new-look UConn roster can live up to the championship expectations that have become standard in Storrs.
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