Dan Hurley's UConn men’s basketball is gearing up for its biggest nonconference test of the early season, a marquee Black Friday showdown with No. 13 Illinois at Madison Square Garden on Friday.
Ranked No. 5 nationally, the Huskies (5-1) enter the holiday matchup knowing the environment and opponent mirror the type of games that shape résumé conversations later in the year.
Speaking to reporters, the head coach centered his message on two key themes — roster health and respect for a stout Illinois squad. Hurley’s primary update involved veteran center Tarris Reed Jr. and freshman guard Braylon Mullins, both recovering from ankle sprains.
“For the first time in a while we had 15 guys in practice, which was a good sign,” Hurley said in the press conference, reframing the moment as progress after weeks of limited numbers.
The program has navigated recent practices without full personnel availability, making the last 48 hours a notable shift. After injuries to multiple rotation players, the coaching staff finally experienced a complete practice setting, something that had been absent for weeks.
Hurley expanded on the situation with transparency, emphasizing the blend of optimism and caution surrounding the pair’s status, clarifying where things stand for his stars.
“So it’s been good to get some people back into practice,” said Hurley. “But Tarris Reed (ankle) and Braylon Mullins (ankle) will still be game-time decisions. You can practice for a couple days if you’ve been out as long as Braylon’s been out. Just got to figure out if this is the game for him. And then Tarris, is he healthy enough to play?”
Reed Jr., the 6-foot-10 interior anchor, rolled his ankle in the closing minutes of UConn’s win over BYU on Nov. 15. Mullins, a five-star recruit and the team’s highest-profile offseason addition, has been sidelined even longer, injuring his ankle in practice during the second-to-last week of October.
Their involvement in practice allows Hurley greater strategic freedom. In recent games, UConn inserted backup big Eric Reibe and forward Jaylin Stewart into the opening lineup to offset personnel gaps.
If the Huskies unlock a fully available rotation, this Illinois contest could serve as a productive launching pad into their most anticipated slate of games before conference play begins.
