The UConn Fast Break - 6/21/2023

The NBA Draft is one day away!

June 21, 2023

Welcome to this week’s Fast Break, and thank you for being a subscriber. We hope you’re enjoying the summer!

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A big Draft Day approaches

With the NBA Finals over, the basketball world turns its attention to this Thursday’s NBA Draft at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

UConn’s Jordan Hawkins is going to BK Thursday night as a potential lottery pick, while Andre Jackson and Adama Sanogo may hear their names called, but have a wide range of possibilities.

It should be the third consecutive year for Dan Hurley’s squad with a draft pick. James Bouknight went 11th overall in 2021 and Tyrese Martin was selected 51st overall last year. The last time two Huskies were picked was in 2014 when Shabazz Napier went in the first round and DeAndre Daniels in the second.

If three Huskies are picked, it would be the most for UConn since having five draftees in 2006.

We took an in-depth look at each player’s prospects last week and will have detailed coverage on Thursday evening and beyond across The UConn Blog, Twitter, and the UConn Fast Break!

Weekly Rewind

Men’s Basketball

Hawkins to attend draft - The former UConn star will be in Brooklyn when he hears his name called in the 2023 NBA Draft on Thursday.

Cam Spencer commits - The sharpshooter arrives from Rutgers.

The Fast Break Pod - How does the lineup look with Newton back and Spencer joining?

How good is Stephon Castle? - A deep dive into the highly-anticipated freshman’s game.

Mock Draft tracker - See where the various outlets have Hawkins, Jackson, and Sanogo getting picked.

Women’s Basketball

UNC matchup - The meeting will occur at Mohegan Sun Arena.

Notebook - Paige Bueckers is still undecided on her professional future, while UConn is getting healthier after a brutal 2022-23.

Jersey numbers - The program’s newcomers have chosen their numbers for the upcoming season.

Film room ($) - A look at how Ines Bettencourt fared last season.

WATCH: Geno on his mantra for the upcoming season “Shut the f—k up and win games”

Football

Recruiting - A big-time quarterback highlights the first wave of June commits.

More Recruiting - Two intriguing commitments bring the 2024 total to six.

Incoming transfers - UConn announced seven incoming transfers.

Men’s Hockey

The Forecheck - Could Matthew Wood stay two more seasons?

Baseball

Hook C Baseball - The final weekly 2023 newsletter debriefs the Gainesville Regional.

Support the most in-depth coverage of UConn men’s hockey around!

Highlights

George Springer slid into the right corner on a fading fly ball in the Toronto Blue Jays’ Sunday road matchup against the Texas Rangers.

Memory Lane

In honor of Thursday’s NBA Draft and the potential for UConn’s 15th lottery pick in Jordan Hawkins, let’s look back at the last one: James Bouknight.

After a tremendous sophomore season, the guard from Brooklyn was picked 11th overall by the Charlotte Hornets. CBS Sports HQ was very high on this pick, giving it an A-plus.

UConn, Great Pic

We have so much to learn about modern-era recruiting. Who’s responsible for making thrones and bringing it to these photoshoots? Props to that person.

(Photo Credit: Twitter - Deron McLaughlin)

Parting Thoughts

We’ve seen a lot of attention on the NBA Draft, but Husky fans will also want to put the NHL Draft on their radar.

Taking place in Nashville, TN from June 28-29, the NHL Draft should see the highest UConn player picked ever when forward Matthew Wood hears his name called. Tage Thompson currently holds the program's high mark, at 26th overall back in 2016, and is now in a starring role for the Buffalo Sabres.

Wood came to Storrs with lofty expectations and managed to exceed them last year as a freshman. As we’ve covered on the UConn Hockey Hub, Wood says he plans to stay at UConn for at least one more year and possibly two. He’s part of an exciting collection of talent that will be looking to build on the success of 2022-2023.

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