UConn men’s basketball positional preview: Backcourt

The backcourt quartet has shotmaking and shooting in spades

Of all the absurd stats about UConn men’s basketball last year, the craziest one might be that the Huskies won every NCAA tournament game by 14 points or more, while only shooting 30 percent from three. If UConn captures that illustrious three-peat, it will be because they better than 30 percent from downtown. A large chunk of that will be coming from the deep stable of guards the backcourt quartet of Hassan Diarra, Solo Ball, Aidan Mahaney and Ahmad Nowell.

All four have above average-to-elite shooting ability. There’s also athleticism, shot creation, and defensive capabilities in spades. What the unit lacks is experience, defined roles, and a little bit of height. How quickly the first two weaknesses get crossed off will determine UConn’s fate this year.

Hassan Diarra—Senior, 6-foot-1

There’s a reason why I called Diarra the team’s most valuable player in our upcoming roundtable his year. Hassan Diarra is a starter Pokémon with three evolutions. Year One Hassan was a defensive pest, but with real shooting and turnover weaknesses that fell out of the rotation. Year Two Hassan improved his field goal percentage from 29.4 percent to 48 percent and his 3-point percentage from 17.9 percent to 38 percent.

He doubled his rebounding total and tripled his scoring output year-over-year, all in under 20 minutes per game, en route to Big East Sixth Man of the Year. Year Three Hassan evolves into his final form; one of the best two-way guards in the country, a steady floor general that picks his spots expertly in screen-and-rolls and sets the tone defensively with relentless ball pressure.

Diarra should see at least 25 minutes per game, an admittedly big step up from the defensive sparkplug role that took advantage of not being a priority on scouting reports. Some may say Diarra will struggle with higher usage and is better served at the energy-guy role that made him so elite last year. But on a team that losing leadership and its two best defensive pieces, Diarra needs starters minutes to help set Dan Hurley’s tone.

Evan Miya projects Diarra as the 60th-best player in the country this year, eighth in the Big East, and second-most impactful on UConn behind Alex Karaban.

Diarra is not Tristen Newton, and (hopefully) won’t be putting up 11 shots per game. That’s not what he will be asked to do in UConn’s fluid, motion-heavy offense. What made Diarra so valuable last year was fitting into so many backcourt lineups—he logged over 460 possessions as the third guard with Cam Spencer and Tristen Newton, per Hoop-Explorer. That was UConn’s second-most effective backcourt combo last year. With arguably more shooters on this year’s roster, pristine spacing will take Hassan’s game to a new level.

Solo Ball— Sophomore, 6-foot-4

No UConn player won the offseason as much as Solo Ball. Ball was an early-season surprise last year, filling in admirably when Stephon Castle went down with a knee injury. Who can forget his 13-point outburst against North Carolina. That’s when it first started to set in that UConn had an embarrassment of riches.

His Big East season didn’t go as planned though; Castle returned, and Ball fell — and stayed — out of the rotation for the rest of the season. In the summer, Hurley was quick to point out it was nothing Ball did and more a minutes crunch and the outstanding play of those in front of him.

As the offseason dragged, one narrative kept getting brought up: Solo Ball has taken The Leap.

At the URI exhibition, fans got to see The Leap with their own eyes—18 points, five rebounds, two blocks, two steals, as well as the starting nod alongside Diarra.

For a team losing four of its top five scorers, including over 30 points per game from backcourt alone, this is a welcome development. With his combination of explosiveness and shotmaking ability, Ball could lead the team in scoring. UConn’s roster is talented, but beyond Aidan Mahaney, it needs someone that can go get a bucket when things break down, someone to be a consistent source of points during scoring draughts.

Beyond the scoring column, Solo’s athleticism out in transition, disruption of passing lanes, and activity on the glass stood out against URI. Watch Solo’s garbage time minutes last year and see a freshman overthinking, settling for jumpers, and not relying on his gifts. With another year of development and ample minutes to go around, the NBA-level athleticism is going to shine in more ways than one.

Aidan Mahaney—Junior, 6-foot-3

Saint Mary’s transfer Aidan Mahaney is your favorite hooper’s favorite hooper. The Northern California native is fresh off his second-straight First Team All-WCC appearance, but true sickos had him circled on their Wish List in February 2023, when in an overtime win vs. Gonzaga, Mahaney scored or assisted on 19 of 21 points during an eight-minute stretch in regulation.

The luster from that breakout wore off a little since then. In UConn’s second-round blowout of the Gaels, the then-freshman shot only 4-13 from the field and as a sophomore, Mahaney’s shooting percentages dropped by about five points each. Splits of 13.9 points, 2.4 boards, 2.6 assists, and 35.5 percent shooting from three is still nothing to scoff at though.

Mahaney brings a Spencer-esque level of shiftiness to the backcourt, a great complement to the straight-line athleticism of Diarra and Ball. Despite not starting in the URI exhibition, Mahaney poured in 17 points on 6-9 shooting from the field, all in just 23 minutes. He also had three assists to zero turnovers. That type of efficient shot selection is exactly why Mahaney transferred to UConn. Now surrounded by an improved supporting cast, a more modernized offense than Saint Mary’s, and a championship pedigree, Mahaney’s two-year stint at UConn could put him up there with Tristen Newton as the most impactful transfers of all time.

Remember, the Tristen Newton era started out with mixed results, his laid-back demeanor contrasting with Hurley’s intensity and creating some inconsistencies in 2023-2024. Transfers take time to acclimate. But the staff has history on its side; Evan Miya ranked UConn second among schools that get the most out of their transfers.

How Hurley handles the abundance of combo-guard talent between Mahaney and Ball is one of the season’s top storylines. However it shakes out, both will get starters minutes. But given Mahaney’s experience, don’t be surprised to see UConn lean on his playmaking early.

Ahmad Nowell—Freshman, 6-foot

Hurley and the staff were so happy with Diarra’s ascendancy the last two years that they went out and cloned him. Freshman Ahmad Nowell is undersized at 6’0 but built like a tank and as tough as they come. Sound familiar? The Philly-tough Nowell was the 33rd ranked recruit via 247Sports, choosing UConn over Georgia Tech and Tennessee.

With Luke Murray’s offensive sets featuring counteractions on counteractions, it’s important for UConn’s guards to be able to knock down shots so as not to clog up spacing. Its why Diarra struggled so much his first year in Storrs. Since committing in July 2023, scouts have raved about Nowel’s ‘self-made’ outside shooting, which gives him combo guard potential from day one. On defense, he looks ready to be a point-of-attack bulldog that won’t have any trouble fighting through (illegal) Big East screens.

Diarra, Mahaney, and Ball will get the lion share of the backcourt’s minutes, but Nowell’s headiness and college-ready build mean he could force his way onto the court sooner rather than later, especially if his shooting is as advertised. In the exhibition vs. Rhode Island, Nowell was one of the last players subbed in, with 12 minutes left. After a turnover and foul, he proceeded to bury two threes.