The Huskies’ froncourt is the team’s biggest question mark heading into the season.
The fate of UConn’s quest for a three-peat very likely hinges on the performance of what is currently a relatively unproven frontcourt. The Huskies’ title teams of the past two years had the luxury of elite big men in Adama Sanogo and Donovan Clingan to anchor both sides of the ball.
As it stands, UConn’s bigs this season — Samson Johnson, Tarris Reed Jr., and Youssof Singare — don’t exactly fit the mold of first-round NBA talent that’s been prevalent in the past. Despite that, Dan Hurley and the Huskies have put together a versatile frontcourt that still features a “thunder and lightning” type of platoon that the title teams executed so well, first with Sanogo and Clingan and then with Clingan and Johnson last season.
Without a bona fide star like Sanogo or Clingan patrolling the post, Hurley can also be more creative with his lineups, allowing him to mix and match more freely to take advantage of opponents’ weaknesses. Aside from the three true bigs on the roster, Jaylin Stewart and Alex Karaban both saw time as small-ball centers/fives last season when matchups allowed it and by necessity, especially with injuries and foul trouble last year and will almost definitely see time in that role this season. While Karaban and Stewart sacrifice some height and strength down low, having them in the center position allows for more spacing offensively, to switch through every position on defense, and to more easily get out in transition for fast break buckets.
Samson Johnson — Senior, 6-foot-10
Johnson is prototypical modern rim-running big with elite fast twitch muscles. His length, quickness and leaping ability allow him to be a force above the rim off high screens or by hustling on fast breaks. As a recruit out of high school, Johnson was regarded as someone that could stretch the floor a bit, but is just 1-for-9 from beyond the arc for his career.
With limited 3-point attempts and mostly dunks, Johnson did make history with the best shooting season ever by a Husky, shooting 72.5 percent from the floor. The nickname Slamson Johnson was certainly earned, not given. In this year’s exhibition win over Rhode Island, Johnson did look more comfortable playing with his back to the basket and did hit a nice baby hook going over his left shoulder. He won’t called on a lot to score in the post like Sanogo or Clingan were, but being able to cash in on mismatches in the post will always help any offense.
Johnson will need to drastically reduce both his turnover and foul rate to spend more time on the floor this season. Both were the highest on the team by a wide margin last season. This offseason, Hurley has mentioned using Johnson as a passer out of the high post, similar to how Marquette utilized Oso Ighodaro last season. Johnson likely won’t turn into Ighodaro from a distribution standpoint, but will be a value add in the high post if he can kick out to shooters on the perimeter or find cutters heading toward the basket.
Defensively, Johnson is solid shot blocker and help defender, but struggled tremendously last year with one-on-one defense in the post. He posted four or more fouls in 16 of his 40 games last season, including five fouls in five minutes in the 2024 national championship game. Teams will try to isolate Johnson in the post this season and attack him in an attempt to take him out of the game.
Johnson also has struggled as a rebounder in his time at UConn (2.8 rebounds per game last season). With the likes of Tristen Newton and Clingan gone, he will need to be more of a force on the glass to earn the lion’s share of minutes down low.
Tarris Reed Jr. — Junior, 6-foot-10
Like Johnson, Reed is also an incredible athlete, albeit bigger. While Johnson has pogo-stick fast twitch muscles, Reed moves fluidly and is incredibly smooth and nimble for someone with his 260-pound frame. In the exhibition win over the Rams, Reed shook off a rough first half to put together an impressive eight-point, 10-rebound performance.
Last season at Michigan, Reed established himself as one of the top rebounders in a loaded Big 10, ranking sixth in the league in offensive rebound rate and seventh in defensive rebound rate. He also posted three double-doubles with the Wolverines this season.
Offensively, Reed figures to be more of a traditional post presence and should be able to score with his ability to crash the offensive glass, especially with some additional tutelage under offensive rebounding guru Tom Moore. Defensively, Reed offers a bulkier look than Johnson and can bang in the post against brawnier bigs, but has enough lateral quickness to hedge hard on pick and rolls and potentially even switch one through five for stretches.
Youssouf Singare — Sophomore, 6-foot-10
Of all of UConn’s scholarship players last season, no one played less than Singare, who appeared in just 2.9 percent of the Huskies’ total minutes. The sophomore big man from Mali is raw but has shown flashes of what made him an integral member of the Huskies’ “Fab Five” recruiting class. He scored four points and added two boards in just two minutes of mop up action in exhibition win over Rhode Island. While he needs seasoning offensively, Singare offers great length and has shown a natural ability to have a nose for the ball, especially on the glass.