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UConn Sports Weekly: The end of baseball and softball season
Also: The Huskies welcome Isaiah Shaw, Colben Landrew gets a Team USA nod, and a marquee opponent is added to the exhibition slate.
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Headlines
Shaw Commits, Landrew to Team USA
UConn announced the addition of Isaiah Shaw, a transfer wing from Northern Arizona. A rising redshirt senior, Shaw brings an experienced shooter with size to UConn’s bench.
Shaw is the sixth transfer and eighth new face set to join the Huskies next season, leaving them with 13 out of 15 possible roster spots filled. UConn has now turned over about half its lineup since the end of the 2025-26 campaign.
Elsewhere on the team, incoming freshman Colben Landrew will get some international experience before he hits campus. The four-star prospect was named to Team USA’s U18 AmeriCup team for the tournament in Mexico next week.
This fall, a 2024 national championship game rematch will take place when Purdue visits Connecticut on Oct. 27, 2026, in a preseason battle. The Boilermakers join Michigan State on the Huskies’ exhibition schedule, with the Spartans looking to get revenge after falling to Dan Hurley’s squad in the Sweet 16.
WBB Recruiting Across the Pond
Geno Auriemma added another piece to his roster for the upcoming season: French shooting guard Marine Dursus.
Dursus, 20, currently plays in the top French pro women’s division. She will join incoming freshmen Olivia Vukosa and Jovana Popovic on campus this upcoming season. Those three will be the only additions after the Huskies passed on the transfer portal pool.
Dursus’ signing came as a bit of a surprise, though she will likely be the last addition to the team before next year.
UConn also announced Blanca Quiñonez underwent surgery to repair a torn labrum in her left shoulder. She is expected to be ready for the 2026-27 season, though the school did not specify a recovery timeline.
The Huskies also added one new series to their schedule, a two-game set with Iowa. UConn will host on Nov. 8, 2026, and head to Iowa City in 2027-28.
Baseball and softball seasons end
UConn baseball’s NCAA Tournament hopes evaporated almost as quickly as they blossomed. The Huskies had a chance to ride into the Big East tournament as the No. 1 seed, needing a sweep of Villanova last weekend to claim sole possession of the Big East regular season crown. They won last Friday and Saturday, but dropped Sunday’s contest, settling for a three-way tie with St. John’s and Xavier for the title.
In the Big East Tournament, UConn lost to the Musketeers in the opening round and was eliminated by Creighton hours later. The Huskies were too far down the RPI ranks to lobby for an at-large bid, meaning their season ended on a three-game losing streak. They’ve missed the NCAA Tournament in consecutive seasons for the first time since 2014 and 2015.
As the transfer portal waits for nobody, UConn baseball already has one player on the way out. Utilityman Anthony Belisario will search for a new home after two seasons with UConn. He was named to the All-Big East Second Team in 2026, hitting .284 with one home run.
Photo: Ian Bethune
After winning the Big East Tournament for the second year in a row, UConn softball’s time in the NCAA tournament was short-lived. The Huskies lasted three games at the Bryan-College Station regional, falling in the opening game against Texas A&M, 17-3.
A 5-1 win over McNeese kept their season alive, but a rematch with the Aggies ended UConn’s season following a 10-3 loss.
Football lands DB commit
The Huskies have their first 2027 commit on the defensive side of the ball, and their second overall in next year’s class. Three-star defensive back Eltonio Hicks, a Virginia product, picked the Huskies over a host of other offers, having garnered interest from at least 18 schools during his recruitment.
The 6-foot-2 versatile DB is praised for his physicality. He picked the Huskies before even having made his scheduled visit (June 5).
Hicks will join the first defensive core under new DC Ryan Manalac. While the Huskies will have first-year coordinators calling the shots on both sides of the ball, both have established track records that fans can trust.
Some former Huskies have recently made moves to continue their professional careers. Jordan Wright, Jelani Stafford, and Antoineo Harris Jr. have all joined Canadian Football League teams during training camp.
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Weekly Rewind
Men’s Basketball
Steph Castle shining as Spurs vie for NBA Final berth – The second-year guard has really come into his own alongside Victor Wembanyama.
Husky Rewind: Richard ‘Rip’ Hamilton ($) – Rip Hamilton led UConn to its first national championship before winning an NBA title with the 2004 Pistons as the only Husky to accomplish both feats.
Castle Does All He Can in Game 5 WCF loss, Stewarts Nets 25 in Liberty Third Straight Loss – The latest of Huskies in the pros sees Stewie balling despite New York’s recent skid, while Castle and the Spurs sit on the brink of elimination.
UConn AAU Session 2 Recruiting Period Recap (5/15-5/17) ($) – The UConn coaching staff hit the road to Indiana and Memphis, getting their first look at the class of 2027 in game action this summer.
Tarris Reed Jr., Alex Karaban Shine at NBA Combine ($) – Reed made his presence felt in 5-on-5 scrimmages, while Karaban delivered a top performance in the shooting drills.
Women’s Basketball
Chasing Perfection: Reflecting on UConn’s 2025-26 season – Diving into Geno’s previous comments and putting a bow on the recent campaign.
Geno calls out NCAA Tournament expansion as ‘money grab’ – Auriemma does not mince words about the 76-team field.
Fudd’s confidence rising, Stewart and Williams go head-to-head ($) – UConn alumni are making noise in the WNBA.
Football
Send the House: UConn’s Top 5 Must-Land Recruits ($) – Who Jason Candle and staff go all-out for and why.
Recruiting Takeaways From the Connecticut Prep Football Showcase ($) – The annual showcase circuit brought in over 100 coaches from across the NCAA.
Baseball
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