UConn basketball handled business against New Haven, 79 to 55, in the season opener.
The University of New Haven Chargers made their Division 1 debut against a hungry UConn basketball team coming off the heels of a disappointing second-round exit in the NCAA Tournament the previous season.
New Haven could not have asked for a better challenge than playing in Gampel Pavilion against Connecticut’s premier college basketball team. To New Haven’s credit, they came into the game as 40+ point underdogs but the team played hard and kept things close early.
After falling behind early to UConn basketball, New Haven was able to keep things relatively close as they found themselves only down 7 with just over five minutes to play in the first half. UConn was eventually able to find some separation and went into the halftime break up 37 to 24.
In the second half, UConn basketball continued to wear down New Haven as the talent discrepancy was too much for New Haven to overcome. UConn cruised to a comfortable 24-point victory in a game they played without two of their projected starters, Tarris Reed Jr. and Braylon Mullins, who were out due to injuries.
Even though this was a bit of a tune up game for UConn basketball, there were several overarching themes that may have shown through.
First one in the books ✅ pic.twitter.com/ewFD7a35Xk
— UConn Men’s Basketball (@UConnMBB) November 4, 2025
A more assertive Jaylin Stewart?
Losing Mullins due to a preseason injury for the first month of the season is obviously not ideal, but it could be a blessing in disguise. Jaylin Stewart was thrust into the starting lineup and took advantage of the opportunity from the opening jump.
Within just the first 10 minutes of the game, he flashed a sign of what could come later on in the season. He was aggressive, looking for his shot with four field goal attempts. It appeared to be a point of emphasis for him to attack the rim off the dribble, which could pay huge dividends, as this would allow him to showcase his playmaking skills by finding open shooters.
He finished the game with a stat line of 11 points, 8 rebounds, and 2 assists, which were well above his previous season averages of 5.4 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 1.0 assists.
This will be the next step in the evolution of Stewart, and every UConn basketball fan should be excited to see what this season has in store for him. Dan Hurley alluded to his importance postgame.
“There were definitely encouraging things there… Jaylin is a guy we need,” said Hurley.
Defensive intensity will be the key to the season.
Last season, defense was the downfall for UConn basketball. They struggled to stop penetration into the lane and far too often allowed shooters wide-open shots. In the first half against New Haven, a lot of these problems appeared to be resolved as they held New Haven to 24 points. Their on ball pressure caused New Haven to shoot an abysmal 14% from behind the three point line, and were able to force seven turnovers.
UConn basketball appeared more connected on switches and was great at preventing second-chance points. The defense continued to stifle New Haven, who finished the game with just 55 points. New Haven’s coach Ted Hotaling raved about UConn’s defense postgame.
“Their physicality and defensive pressure really affected us,” said Hotaling.
As the season goes on, it will be interesting to see if UConn basketball can keep this level of intensity up, especially as they transition to conference play. Another thing to keep an eye out for is the return of Tarris Reed Jr. and Braylon Mullins, who were both out in the opener. Having more depth will obviously help, especially when key players inevitably find themselves in foul trouble.
The new guys fit right in.
Silas Demary Jr. was one of the major standouts in the season opener for UConn basketball. He provided exactly what the team was missing last season which was a tall guard who could put pressure on the rim.
Time and time again, when UConn basketball was struggling to score, Demary Jr. seemed to sense his team needed a basket, he would drive for a layup, which resulted in either a basket or a foul. Every team needs a player like this because when perimeter shots are not fallin,g someone needs to be able to find other high percentage ways of scoring points.
Freshman Eric Reibe filled in for an injured Tarris Reed Jr. and was impressive in his college basketball debut. He appeared comfortable touching the ball in the post as well as handling the ball and passing at the top of the key.
By playing well early in the season, Reibe should be able to build trust with coach Dan Hurley and be called upon to play big minutes even once Reed Jr. returns.
Malachi Smith did not light the scoreboard up, but he did prove that he is capable of running the offense, which will be huge as he will be the key cog to the second unit as the season goes along. He led UConn basketball with four assists, a trend the team will hope to continue to see.
Next for UConn basketball: vs. UMass Lowell (Fri., Nov. 7 at 7:30 p.m. EST)
Next for New Haven: vs. Columbia (Fri., Nov. 7 at 1 p.m. EST)