Silas Demary Jr. to Return for UConn vs. UCLA
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Head coach Dan Hurley and the UConn Huskies are in their second-round NCAA tournament matchup with the UCLA Bruins. The Huskies defeated the Furman Paladins 82-71 in the first round to get them a matchup against the Bruins for a right to face Michigan State in the Sweet 16.
The Huskies had to survive a poor shooting night from three with Solo Ball and Braylon Mullins, but got a superhero performance from center Tarris Reed Jr. A major part of why the Huskies struggled against the Paladins is that they were missing key contributors.
The Huskies were without point guard Silas Demary Jr. and forward Jaylin Stewart, but both are dressed against the Bruins. The TNT broadcast confirmed that Demary is available, but will not start. Malachi Smith will start in his place.
Silas Demary Jr. and Jaylin Stewart are both dressed for today's game, spokesperson told ESPN. Neither played against Furman on Friday.
— Jeff Borzello (@jeffborzello) March 23, 2026
The Huskies were really struggling to run the offense against the Paladins without Demary at the point. But getting him back at any capacity says a lot about how much he cares and wants to help the Huskies win.
The Huskies Expect to Return Two Key Players
Hurley reportedly told ESPN on March 22 that Demary would have a better chance of playing than Stewart if either were to suit up for this matchup. And now that they are both dressed, they should be ready to rotate in when needed.
It is not that the offense looked bad without Demary running the point against the Paladins; it's that the Huskies could not hit an open look period all game long. And with Demary likely getting a little bit of minutes, the offense should definitely go back to normal.
Stewart has been exceptional on defense all season long and can knock down a clutch three every now and then for the Huskies. Regardless of how many minutes each guy plays, the Huskies should match up well against the Bruins, especially because Tyler Bilodeau will not play.
Tyler Bilodeau (knee) is out tonight, per UCLA, against UConn. He’s UCLA’s leading scorer at 17.6 ppg. https://t.co/DQgvmkQ6pY
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) March 23, 2026
With the Bruins being down their top scorer and the Huskies expected to be at full strength, the Huskies should have a good chance at winning this one. Should the Huskies win, it will set up a tough matchup with Michigan State and head coach Tom Izzo in the Sweet 16.
The last time UConn reached the Sweet 16 was when it won the national championship in the 2023-24 season.
Tyler is a 25 year old Journalism graduate from Georgia Southern University. Tyler is a big fan of hockey, baseball, basketball, and football, and also is a staff writer for Fansided.