Dan Hurley: UConn guard Ahmad Nowell is 'game-time decision' for Gonzaga game

Freshman guard is dealing with a shoulder injury

Connecticut Huskies guard Ahmad Nowell. | Mark Smith-Imagn Images

UConn head coach Dan Hurley won't know whether he'll have freshman guard Ahmad Nowell for Saturday's showdown against Gonzaga until the moments leading up to tip-off from Madison Square Garden.

"I think for Ahmad it'd be maybe a game-time decision," Hurley said during a Zoom call Friday. "He's really trying to get back out there with the shoulder. Showing incredible toughness and a desire to be out there. We just have to kind of see how the rest of today goes into tomorrow, and see what this availability looks like. It's improving."

Nowell sprained his shoulder on Dec. 2 and missed the Huskies' victories over Baylor and Texas last week. Hurley said Nowell "made himself kind of available" for UConn's game against the Bears, though he ended up not logging any minutes in the 76-72 win. The Philadelphia native has come off the bench in seven games so far this season and is averaging 3.3 points and 1.7 rebounds in those appearances.

Nowell was a four-star recruit in the 2024 class coming out of Imhotep Institute (Pennsylvania). He was the No. 33-ranked player in the country and among the top five players in his state, according to 247Sports. Nowell was part of a recruiting class that ranked No. 6 in the country, per 247Sports, and was headlined by five-star forward Liam McNeely (No. 10 in the class).

Redshirt junior and UConn's leading scorer, Alex Karaban will be good to go against the Bulldogs. The 6-foot-8 forward missed two games after suffering a concussion during the Huskies' loss to Dayton in the Maui Invitational. Karaban returned to lead the way with 21 points against the Longhorns.

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