UConn Backup Shines in Preseason Opportunity

Injuries and UConn Huskies basketball have to be one of the most frustrating duos in college basketball. Every time Dan Hurley’s team builds a rhythm, the injury bug somehow sneaks back in. This preseason, it’s been merciless.

Last season, it was Liam McNeeley; then this season, Tarris Reed Jr. was the first one out, and now Braylon Mullins, one of the most exciting freshmen in the country, is sidelined. Mullins scored 12 points in the opening exhibition game against Boston College.

And now, he is expected to miss six weeks with an ankle injury. That’s a brutal hit, considering that Hurley had penciled him in as an immediate impact player and maybe even a starter. So, what happens now?

When a McDonald’s All-American and Indiana’s “Mr. Basketball” goes down, there’s usually panic in the locker room. However, Hurley doesn’t have to panic this time. In the match against Michigan State, he might have found the perfect replacement.

Dan Hurley Finds His Answer to Braylon Mullins' Dilemma on the Huskies Roster

Every coach dreams of the moment an unheralded player steps up when the lights hit brightest. For Hurley, that moment arrived with Jayden Ross. The sophomore forward didn’t just fill the gap; he came armed with his own gameplay.

Against Michigan State, Ross scored 13 points in just 22 minutes. “I love, obviously, I love Jay Ross,” Hurley said after the win against the Spartans. “I’ve seen that movie in my home a lot… but I think that now, that movie’s going to theaters so the public can see it.”

J Ross makes a play on one end...Solo makes em pay on the other pic.twitter.com/dANKfORZn2
— UConn Men's Basketball (@UConnMBB) October 28, 2025

Ross was brilliant with threes when it mattered. In fact, he had one that capped off an 11-0 UConn run to blow the game wide open. His confidence off the bench gave the Huskies exactly what they’d been missing with Mullins out.

Against Boston College earlier, Ross had chipped in quietly with 4 points in 18 minutes, but this was different. This was statement basketball. To be fair, it is not like Ross came out of nowhere. Last season, Ross had his moments, like the double-double against UMES and 14 points against New Hampshire.

However, his minutes were scarce. Now, as a sophomore, that might change. As Hurley puts it, “That’s the Jay Ross we’ve seen on a daily basis. And we need that, especially with Braylon out.”

It sure sounds like Ross will not be a one-night wonder on Hurley’s roster. Instead, it might be the start of a bigger role.

What Does This Mean For the Huskies?

With Braylon Mullins sidelined, UConn’s depth is once again being tested, but this time, the story feels slightly different. They are not in panic mode. Instead, their pieces are falling into place. Against Michigan State, the No. 4 Huskies controlled the game from, despite a stop-and-start rhythm that saw 34 fouls. That kind of game can kill momentum, yet UConn still led by as many as 19 points in the second half. And Ross brought in energy when the tempo was dipping.

Ross managed to bury a trio of second-half threes that helped the Huskies get an 11-0 run to bury the Spartans.

“It was good to see Jay Ross make threes,” Hurley said. “Solo (Ball), I thought him and Alex (Karaban), those deep threes they took to start the game were stupid for such veteran players. Like, you just don’t want your first three of a game to be like, I don’t even want to look at it on film.”

It was Hurley being Hurley, but that Ross’ confidence might just be the silver lining to UConn’s current injury mess. Still, the challenge ahead is massive. Analyst Jon Rothstein broke down what UConn could be missing if Mullins’ six-week timeline holds.

From Liam McNeeley to Braylon Mullins and now Tarris Reed, the injury bug has bit UConn hard in 2025.

🎧 https://t.co/c9JLel2QnF (Apple)
🎧 https://t.co/EsZxIkca32 (Spotify) pic.twitter.com/jfArPhNlVm
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) October 27, 2025

“If Braylon Mullins does miss six weeks... he’d miss BYU in Boston, Arizona in Connecticut, Illinois at MSG, and a road game in early December at Kansas,” said Rothstein. He even called it “unequivocally the best non-conference schedule that's ever been put together in the history of UConn basketball,” and he’s not exaggerating.

The stretch could define UConn’s season and its NCAA Tournament seeding. That’s why Ross’s emergence matters so much. Alongside Georgia transfer Silas Demary Jr., who added nine points, three assists, and three rebounds against Michigan State, Ross looks poised to carry the energy Mullins brought.

If Huskies can keep it up, UConn might not just survive the injury wave. In fact, they might be able to ride it straight into another Final Four run.

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