UConn men’s basketball 2022-23 team by the numbers
The UConn men’s basketball season begins Monday night with first-year Division I program Stonehill at Gampel Pavilion. The Huskies, who have looked good through two closed-door scrimmages and one on Blue/White night, will be working without co-captain Andre Jackson Jr. for the first few games – he suffered a broken pinky finger in mid-October.
One of Jackson’s – and coach Dan Hurley’s – biggest priorities is getting the team to mesh together. With more than half the roster new, that necessary chemistry – especially without their floor general – will have to build at an accelerated pace through the first couple games.
The program’s goal is to return to the winning ways it is used to. The confidence is in the roster and in Hurley – who, with his staff, recruited to fill nine open spots and keep UConn competitive. The question looms: In his fifth season, can Hurley finally get over the hump and win his first tournament game at UConn?
Here is the 2022-23 team he hopes to do it with by the numbers:
1
Preseason award. Big man Adama Sanogo was named Big East preseason player of the year at Big East media day in mid-October. He was later named to the national watch lists for the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar center of the year award and the NABC player of the year award.
3
Returning rotation players. Andre Jackson Jr., Adama Sanogo and Jordan Hawkins will be the core of the program this season, especially with all of the pieces that were brought in to help out around them.
4
Transfer portal additions. Tristen Newton (East Carolina), Hassan Diarra (Texas A&M), Joey Calcaterra (San Diego State) and Nahiem Alleyne (Virginia Tech.) are all upperclassmen with Division I experience, and will be a major key to the team’s success.
4
UConn’s projection in the Big East preseason poll. The Huskies were picked to come in behind Creighton, Xavier and Villanova, in that order.
5
Games, all at home, before the Phil Knight Invitational in Oregon. The Huskies are slated to play Stonehill, Boston University, Buffalo, UNC-Wilmington and Delaware State before meeting the Ducks in Oregon.
24
Points for Jordan Hawkins in the Blue/White scrimmage. Hawkins, expected to make a massive production leap in his sophomore season, put on a show with five three-pointers, most of which were contested, in the Huskies’ first public action of the preseason.
35%
UConn’s three-point shooting percentage last season. Hurley made it a goal to go find shooters in the transfer portal, and to improve the shots of those already on the roster in order to give Sanogo more space inside the paint.
51
Donovan Clingan, the four-star, 7-2 center from Bristol Central, was ranked 51st in his class by ESPN.
67%
UConn’s conference winning percentage since rejoining the Big East two seasons ago.
73
Wins for Dan Hurley as UConn’s head coach. 2021-22 was the first 20-win season for Hurley at UConn (73-47 overall).
101
AP preseason top-25 voting points. UConn missed out on the national preseason poll, but received the second-most points in the “others receiving votes” category behind Texas A&M (112).
2014
The last time UConn made it past the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Also the last time the Huskies hoisted a national championship trophy.
