The UConn Huskies open their latest NCAA Tournament with several lingering injury concerns, as they’ve been without Jaylin Stewart for multiple games, and Silas Demary Jr. had concerns after the team’s loss to St. John’s.
During UConn’s double-digit defeat at Madison Square Garden last week, Demary went down on the court after a play, seeming to favor his ankle. He eventually got off the court and headed back to the locker room for further evaluation, but returned to finish out his team’s game.
Following the game, he had precautionary X-rays to determine the severity of his injury, and thankfully for UConn, it wasn’t serious. However, that didn’t necessarily mean it wouldn’t start bothering him this past week and prevent him from playing in March Madness.
As the team practiced and spoke with the media before Friday’s first-round game against Furman, several updates arrived on the Huskies’ starting point guard and a few reserve players.
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According to UConn beat reporter David Borges, UConn received good news regarding Demary, who said he’d be “good to go” for the Huskies’ game against the Paladins. Demary recently received Big East First Team honors alongside teammates Taris Reed Jr. and Alex Karaban.
Meanwhile, Stewart’s injury status is a bit less clear. In good news, he was seen on the court shooting with his teammates, but was sporting a red knee brace while taking three-point shots.
Borges reported that Stewart is “questionable” and seems less likely to play against Furman and more likely to get back on the hardwood in a second-round game. Another report came straight from Stewart, who claimed he is “moving well” right now in his practice.
One other update arrived via Sam Calhoun that might catch most fans off guard. Reserve guard Malachi Smith, who often provides backup relief for starters Demary or Solo Ball, is reportedly “dealing with something,” per coach Dan Hurley. However, Hurley didn’t elaborate on what that is he’s dealing with.
The Huskies’ depth has been one of their strengths across the season. Having multiple players out of the lineup could hinder their chances of making a deep run in this NCAA Tournament, so fans are hoping to see all of their players healthy and able to contribute.
UConn is still listed as an overwhelmingly large favorite for their opening round game against Furman in Philadelphia. As of this writing, they are 20.5-point favorites to defeat the Paladins on Friday night.
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