Top 5 basketball players returning to UConn for 2024-25 season ft. Alex Karaban (maybe?) 

A season ago, the UConn Huskies won the NCAA Tournament and returned with a relatively intact and seasoned lineup. It's not quite the same this time around. With several seniors who have exhausted eligibility and a couple of likely NBA draft picks, UConn is nearly starting over.

Fortunately for head coach Dan Hurley, the cupboard is not entirely bare. Here are the top five players returning to UConn next year.

Top 5 basketball players returning to UConn for 2024-25

UConn forward Samson Johnson throws down a dunk in the national championship game. He's one of the most significant expected returnees next season for the Huskies.

#5. Jayden Ross

Jayden Ross played just 102 minutes all season long for the 2023-24 Huskies. Ross averaged 0.7 points per game and 0.7 rebounds per game. The 6-foot-7 freshman forward scored just 15 points all season, but he did manage a basket in the NCAA regional final against Illinois.

Ross didn't get much of a chance to show his skills last year. He's apparently sticking around and based on his high school reputation, and could still develop into a fine player for UConn.

#4. Jaylin Stewart

Stewart played almost nine minutes per game off the bench last season as a freshman. Unlike Ball, Stewart didn't start any games. But he did play most of his best basketball late in the season, putting up nine and eight points in consecutive games in the Big East Tournament. The 6-foot-7 forward averaged 2.5 ppg and 1.2 rpg overall.

Stewart was fairly raw as a freshman. He shot just 27% from 3-point range and 44% from the free throw line. Again, it bodes well that he played better as the season went on. His sophomore year will likely include more of a shot at meaningful time over the entire season.

#3. Solomon Ball

As a freshman, Ball started 10 games and contributed off the bench to help UConn to yet another NCAA crown. Ball scored 3.3 ppg and shot 32% from 3-point range and 70% from the foul line.

Included in Ball's starting assignments was a November victory over North Carolina where the freshman scored 13 points, including a pair of 3-pointers. Ball played less after the New Year but helped fill in as a freshman and will likely be a more mature player in his role in the next championship run.

#2. Samson Johnson

A 6-foot-10 senior forward, Johnson will likely see a bigger role next season than in previous years. He played in just 25 games in his first two years at UConn, but played in all 40 games last season, making seven starts. Samson is offensively limited, but made 73% of his shots to score 5.4 ppg in 2023-24.

Johnson is a physical defender and rebounder (2.8 rpg last year). He is just 1-for-9 on collegiate 3-point shots and is a 48% free throw shooter. That said, he made tremendous strides a year ago and will certainly be a contributor if he indeed sticks around for his senior season.

#1. Alex Karaban (?)

Junior forward Alex Karaban could be the standout returnee for the 2024-25 UConn Huskies... unless he isn't. Karaban is very much up in the air. He announced his entry to the NBA draft on Thursday but retained his college eligibility. Unlike Stephon Castle or Donovan Clingan, Karaban's NBA stop is somewhat questionable, and he could return to Storrs.

Karaban averaged 13.3 ppg and 5.1 rpg last year for UConn. In two seasons, he has started 77 games for UConn national title teams, scoring 881 points and grabbing 373 rebounds.

Karaban is a 39% 3-point shooter and an 85% free throw shooter. All of this means he'd be a massive boost for the Huskies next year... if the NBA doesn't bite this time around.

Will Alex Karaban return to the Huskies? Can Connecticut win without him? Let's hear your thoughts in the comments section below.