HOUSTON — Throughout its dominant NCAA Tournament run, UConn kept cardboard cutouts of the national championship trophy on display in its locker room as a reminder of what the team was working toward. As Huskies coach Dan Hurley explained, the idea was to offer the players a visual, a reminder of their joint goals in an era of individual player empowerment.
“You’ve really got to turn from September through to when the season ends into the ‘we’ season because you know the ‘me’ season is coming very soon,” Hurley said. “It really hits you as soon as you play your last game, where it goes from ‘we’ to ‘me.'”
UConn will be celebrated with a parade in the days ahead. Eventually, a banner will be raised inside Gampel Pavilion in Storrs. There will be no shortage of celebrations for what the Huskies accomplished during the 2022-23 “we” season. But lurking in the background is the reality that the 2023 “me” season has begun, and even the national champions are not immune.
Several key players face big decisions in the days ahead: Return to UConn, head to the NBA Draft or hit the transfer portal in search of new on-court roles or potential NIL paydays. Of the eight players who were part of the Huskies’ rotation Monday night, only reserve guard Joey Calcaterra is out of eligibility.
But the modern realities of college basketball suggest he won’t be the only member of the group departing the program. In some ways, UConn is now a victim of its own success. As the Huskies found their stride on the national stage, NBA Draft buzz around star shooting guard Jordan Hawkins and others only increased.
Exiting the season, small forward Andre Jackson and centers Adama Sanogo and Donovan Clingan are also facing big draft decisions after building their stock while displaying unique skill sets on college basketball’s biggest stage. With a five-man signing class ranked No. 4 nationally on the way, here is a look at…
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