Friday’s victory over #16 Michigan wasn’t the only good news for #4 UConn men’s basketball this week.
Head coach Dan Hurley recently offered a positive, but cautious, update on one of the Huskies’ most proven players.
Solo Ball Injury Update
For a while, it looked like Solo Ball was going to be an afterthought this year.
The senior suffered a wrist injury in April and required surgery. UConn announced that the guard would take a medical redshirt, sidelining him for the entire 2026-27 season.
Fortunately for the Huskies, a recent ruling has opened the door for Ball to make his return sooner rather than later.
In June, the NCAA approved the “5-in-5″ age-based eligibility rule. Now, collegiate athletes can play up to five seasons within a five-year period. In essence, the decision all but eliminates the need for redshirts.
Since he’s guaranteed to return next season, Ball is now an option for this UConn roster going forward. The senior has been spotted at practice with the Huskies.
According to CT Insider’s David Borges, Hurley was non-committal when it came to Ball’s potential return:
“He’s doing more stuff, non-live stuff in practice. We’ve got to talk about what that looks like, get clearance. We have to figure it out with the medical people,” Connecticut’s head coach stated.
“He went through a lot mentally, emotionally last year. I just want to make sure, before he pushes himself back too soon, he’ll be ready to go.”
Solo Ball Stats at UConn
When healthy, Ball is an all-around contributor for Dan Hurley’s squad. The fourth-year man out of Leesburg, Virginia offers stellar play on both ends of the floor.
Over 113 games with UConn (84 starts), Ball is averaging 10.0 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game. In addition, he’s shooting 35.0% from three-point range.
As a freshman, Ball came off the bench for UConn’s title-winning 2023-24 team. He was a starter on last season’s Final Four squad, falling just short in the championship game vs. Michigan.
Ball was at his best as a sophomore during the 2024-25 season, averaging a career-high 14.4 points per game to go with 41.4% shooting from beyond the arc.
Now a senior, Ball offers plenty of experience for a group that already looks capable of another deep postseason run. Still, in an always-competitive college basketball landscape, you can never have too much firepower.
Dan Hurley Provides Injury Update for Key UConn Contributor