There are exciting times in Storrs as the 2021-22 college basketball season gets underway. Entering his fourth season at the helm, Dan Hurley has UConn on the rise after last season's return to the NCAA Tournament. Now expectations continue to climb for the Huskies, who were picked to finish second in the Big East and start the year ranked 24th nationally by the Associated Press.
While nearly everyone from last year's team is back (minus, of course, NBA lottery pick James Bouknight), there are some newcomers as well in the form of a top-10 recruiting class nationally. Let's meet the newest members of the 2021-22 UConn Huskies (note: we'll meet the new women's players next week):
1 - Rahsool Diggins: A freshman from Philly, Diggins is a highly rated point guard who chose UConn over other Big East teams like Villanova and Seton Hall. Listed at 6-2 and 175 lbs., Diggins is a bit of a hybrid point guard in that he has the old-school distribution and leadership abilities, but also sprinkles in the new-school concept of a scoring point guard. He could make an immediate impact off the bench in spelling RJ Cole and Jalen Gaffney.
14 - Corey Floyd, Jr: A surprise addition to this year's team, Floyd was originally committed as part of the incoming class of 2022, but reclassified over the summer and joins a year early. Another four-star guard, Floyd is a 6-3, 210-lb. shooting guard who can drive and shoot and brings a toughness to the position, which would fit Hurley's system well. Still only 17, Floyd's impact this season might be limited to the second or third guard off the bench, but don't be fooled - he's a big part of the future.
24 - Jordan Hawkins: Another four-star freshman guard, Hawkins might be the most impactful freshman on the team. A consensus top-50 recruit, the 6-5 DeMatha Catholic alumnus has a silky smooth shooting stroke to the point where, on a team with only one consistent outside threat in Tyler Polley, he might immediately step in and be the top three-point shooter.
35 Samson Johnson: There is a forward in the freshman class, in the form of Johnson. Originally from Togo, the 6-10 big man came to the U.S. when he was 16 and was briefly high school teammates with Adama Sanogo. While he's wiry at only 200 lbs., he has a 7-5 wingspan and has the ability to knock down shots from range. Going against him this year is a crowded UConn frontcourt, where he'll be looking for spare minutes that don't get taken up by Sanogo, Isaiah Whaley, Akok Akok and Tyler Polley. That being said, Hurley has said he believes Johnson has NBA lottery pick potential.
Luke Murray: There is a new member of the coaching staff, after Kevin Freeman transitioned into a different role within the university. Murray comes to Storrs after three years at Louisville, but he's intimately familiar with Hurley, having been on staff during Hurley's time at both Wagner and Rhode Island. Considered one of the best recruiters in college basketball, the Fairfield University graduate will only help a coaching staff that's racking up four-star recruits at a high level.