Huskies Report

UConn Misses Top Spot in Preseason Coaches' Poll

The UConn Huskies were knocked out of the second round of the NCAA tournament last year.
Nishant Gupta|
Mar 23, 2025; Raleigh, NC, USA; Connecticut Huskies head coach Dan Hurley reacts during the second half against the Connecticut Huskies in the second round of the NCAA Tournament at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images
Mar 23, 2025; Raleigh, NC, USA; Connecticut Huskies head coach Dan Hurley reacts during the second half against the Connecticut Huskies in the second round of the NCAA Tournament at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images | Zachary Taft-Imagn Images

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UConn Huskies

For the first time in three years, the UConn Huskies men's basketball team will not enter the season as the unanimous favorite to win the Big East title. St. John's has been picked to finish first in the 2025-26 BIG EAST Preseason Coaches' Poll, narrowly edging out the Huskies. 

St. John's, the defending Big East regular season and tournament champion, received seven of 10 first-place votes and 97 points from the league's head coaches. UConn earned the remaining four first-place votes and finished with 94 points, just three points behind the Red Storm. Creighton was picked third with 80 points, followed by Providence in fourth and Marquette in fifth.

UConn won back-to-back national championships in 2023 and 2024 while dominating the conference, winning both the regular season and tournament titles. However, last season saw the Huskies struggle, they were ranked third in the AP poll at the start of the year before falling out of the rankings entirely by season's end. This year, they enter the season at No.4 in the AP Preseason poll.

The second-place ranking could serve as motivation for a UConn program that has dominated the Big East since returning to the conference in 2020. The Huskies won their first outright Big East regular season title in 25 years during the 2023-24 season and captured their eighth conference tournament championship.​

UConn's 2025-26 Schedule and Expected Lineup

The Huskies open their season on November 3 against the New Heaven Chargers at Gampel Pavilion. Their first major test comes on November 15 when they face eighth-ranked BYU at home, followed by a showdown with No. 13 Arizona on November 19. UConn will face No. 17 Illinois at Madison Square Garden on November 28 and Kansas on December 2.

The highly anticipated matchup with St. John's is set for February 6 at Madison Square Garden and February 25 at XL Center. These games could decide the Big East regular-season champion. 

This is how the Huskies are expected to lineup in the upcoming season:

  • G: Silas Demary Jr. 13.5 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 3.1 APG
  • G: Solo Ball Jr. 14.4 PPG, 3.6 RPG
  • G: Braylon Mullins Fr. Ranked No. 14
  • F: Alex Karaban R-Sr. 14.3 PPG, 5.3 RPG
  • C: Tarris Reed Sr. 9.6 PPG, 7.3 RPG

Despite finishing second in the conference poll, UConn received significant individual recognition. The Huskies are the first Big East team since Villanova in 2005-06 to have three players on the Preseason All-Conference First Team. 

Guards Solo Ball, forward Alex Karaban, and center Tarris Reed Jr. all earned first-team honors. Guard Silas Demary Jr. was named to the Preseason All-Conference Second Team.

Don't forget to bookmark UConn Huskies on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, recruiting coverage and more!

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Nishant Gupta
NISHANT GUPTA

Nishant is a sports writer with over four years of experience covering major leagues such as the NBA, NFL, and soccer. He has bylines in several reputable digital media platforms, including Sportskeeda, Athlon Sports, Pro Football & Sports Network, and PinkVilla. He's known for delivering insightful and engaging coverage on everything, turning game-day grit into punchy storytelling.

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