UConn men will be a work in progress beginning with tonight's exhibition game vs. URI

Just over three weeks before the season opener, the UConn men's basketball team is a bit of a mystery.Perhaps even more so than the previous few seasons.The Huskies have undergone significant changes since the last time they stepped on the court for the national championship game against Purdue and walked away with the program's second straight title on April 8 in Arizona. They lost four starters and brought in five newcomers.Coach Dan Hurley is unsure what to expect from his team in Monday's inaugural Basketball Hall of Fame Enshrinement game against Rhode Island at 6 p.m. at Mohegan Sun Arena. The charity exhibition will benefit Coaches vs. Cancer."We're not going to look like we did the last time people saw us play," Hurley said Sunday. "We're not going to look like Phoenix or MSG (at the Big East tournament). We're a work in progress right now."But it's exciting to get an opportunity to go out and play against somebody else and to take the good and bad away from it."Monday's game is one of just two preseason games on UConn's schedule prior to the season opener on Nov. 6 against Sacred Heart in Storrs. The Huskies also will play a closed door scrimmage against Harvard at an undisclosed date.The two games will give Hurley an opportunity to further evaluate his team.Hurley's primary focus will be on his team and not the opponent."Our mindset right now, we're so consumed with ourselves, our offense, our defense, our rebounding, kind of our fundamentals," Hurley said. "You really are so focused on yourself. What it becomes is an opportunity here to get some of the jitters out and play in front of a crowd."One thing not in doubt is that redshirt junior Alex Karaban, a two-time national champion, will be in the starting lineup. Karaban is the only returning starter and top returning scorer and rebounder, averaging 13.3 points and 5.1 rebounds per game last season.No one else on the 2024-25 roster averaged more than 6.1 points and 3.0 rebounds last season.The long list of unknowns about his team makes Hurley uncomfortable."I wish I had more time before we went public," Hurley said with a laugh. "I don't even know who is going to start tomorrow night at a couple of spots. I'm more concerned with my ball screen defense, my transition defense, our rebounding, our on-ball defense. I could run through a list of things right now that I'm not pleased with or I just don't think they're ready for real games to begin."But this one, you see there are a lot of benefits. It's great for the New England area for college hoops to play a game at Mohegan, a place that we want to try to get to play at once a year if we can moving forward. It's tough for us because we already have to split games between the two places.Hurley does know about the Rhode Island program.Prior to arriving at UConn, Hurley spent six seasons coaching the Rams and rebuilding a struggling program into a consistent winner, earning two NCAA tournament trips. His success helped him take the next step on the coaching ladder.Entering his seventh season at UConn, Hurley is as demanding and intense as he's ever been. He has set his sights on a three-peat.Monday's exhibition game is an early building block. It also will be a valuable experience for newcomers Liam McNeeley, Aidan Mahaney, Tarris Reed Jr., Isaiah Abraham and Ahmad Nowell.Hurley hopes every player will be available for the game. Some Huskies are dealing with the usual minor bumps and bruises from a rigorous training camp.The game will be broadcast on NBC Sports Boston.g.keefe@theday.com