NEW YORK — UConn’s most valuable piece through the first month of perhaps the most difficult schedule in the country has been the quality of its rotation, a potent arsenal that — even through injuries — has managed to win six of seven games and maintain its Top 5 ranking.
The fifth-ranked Huskies finally got a glimpse of what their finished product could be Friday, when Tarris Reed, Jr. made his return to the lineup and star freshman Braylon Mullins debuted after an ankle injury sustained in late October. Even though both were held back as they continue to recover, the vision remained the same for Dan Hurley, who foresaw an interchangeable collection of parts with minimal, if any, dropoff.
Mullins played only 10 minutes in Friday’s win over Illinois, a total Hurley was hard on himself for not increasing ever so slightly. But as the rookie finds his niche in the Husky repertoire, he will do so in a manner similar to how Stephon Castle was groomed when he went down in the second game of the 2023-24 season, and then returned against North Carolina several weeks later.
“We went through this with Steph,” Hurley recounted. “I think it’s going to be a gradual situation for (Mullins) to work his way back. I think the good thing is he’s going to be able to come off the bench and just try to help us, and not have to carry this big weight. We’ll use a similar method of how we brought Steph Castle back.”
Heralded by the coach as a “major difference maker,” Mullins has made strides in practice, and with his presence on the wing, will ease matters for Alex Karaban and Solo Ball, the latter still working his way out of a shooting slump while the former is playing more within himself and less burdened, compared to last season.
“He’s getting way more comfortable out there,” Karaban said of his freshman teammate. “What he does in practice — he kills in practice, so I know he’s gonna get more comfortable out there and he’s gonna be a star for us.”
As for Reed, the senior big man is vital for UConn on both ends of the floor, and will undoubtedly be tasked with controlling Kansas’ Flory Bidunga should he be able to suit up Tuesday against the Jayhawks. Hurley called Reed a gametime decision in his pregame press conference Monday, but admitted having his veteran center out there would add a dimension not replicated by anyone else.
“He changes everything about our offense and defense,” Hurley said of Reed. “We start playing in a donut or we start running around the 3-point line too much, because we don’t have enough diversity on offense. He solves a lot of that problem because you’re talking about a guy who’s a 70 percent shooter when we throw him the ball around the block. So just getting Tarris back healthy — hopefully a lot healthier for the Kansas game — and then obviously, Braylon, we want to get these guys to the point where maybe going into Tuesday, you’re not talking about minutes restrictions. Those two guys are gonna change our team a lot.”
“Seeing someone like Tarris just being on the court with you gives you a lot of trust and a lot of hope,” Karaban added. “Just how dominant of a presence he is inside and just what he can change defensively and rebounding, we need him desperately. It’s just a huge pressure off our team when he’s out there.”
UConn’s biggest luxury may very well be the ability to take baby steps when bringing two impact players back. As the senior voice in the locker room and a two-time champion, Karaban recognizes the significance of having versatile teammates to play off of. The senior forward did not move to quantify the intangibles, but admitted their returns to full strength will only bolster a team already viewed as a national championship contender before their recoveries.
“They’re both pushing through right now,” he said of Reed and Mullins. “Having those two guys back changes everything for us, offensively, defensively and it just makes us even more dangerous, so I’m excited for that.”
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