UConn’s Silas Demary Jr. speaks during a press conference at the Werth Family UConn Basketball Champions Center in Storrs, Conn., Tuesday, April 28, 2026.
Dave Zajac/Hearst Connecticut Media
UConn guard Silas Demary Jr. (2), Michigan forward Morez Johnson Jr. (21), Michigan guard Nimari Burnett (4) and UConn guard Solo Ball (1) watch the ball go out of bounds during the first half of the NCAA college basketball tournament national championship game at the Final Four, Monday, April 6, 2026, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
Abbie Parr/AP
STORRS — When Silas Demary Jr. made his official visit to UConn a little over a year ago, associate head coach Kimani Young took one look at him and famously said, “Man, there goes my PG (point guard).”
When he met with the media via Zoom call about a week later, he noted that he wanted to be the next great UConn men’s basketball point guard, listing off names like Kemba Walker, Shabazz Napier and the player to whom he’s often compared, Tristen Newton.
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When Demary met with Dan Hurley a few weeks ago, while pondering whether to return for his senior season or test the NBA waters, the UConn head coach had a simple message for him.
“He just wanted his QB-1 back,” Demary reported. “To hear him say that, to know that there’s a need for me to be back, that feels good.”
UConn’s Silas Demary Jr. speaks during a press conference at the Werth Family UConn Basketball Champions Center in Storrs, Conn., Tuesday, April 28, 2026.
Dave Zajac/Hearst Connecticut Media
And so, while meeting the media on Tuesday afternoon at Werth Family Champions Center to discuss his decision to return to school, Demary was asked what he needed to do to etch his name into the annals of Husky history alongside Walker, Napier, Newton and others.
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“What I’ve got to do is win,” he said, matter-of-factly. “We did everything but do that at a high level this year.”
PG, QB-1, whatever you want to call him, Demary will return as one of the top point guards in the country next season. He and Braylon Mullins should comprise perhaps the nation’s top backcourt tandem. And he’ll have another label attached to his name: Leader.
With the graduations of Alex Karaban and Tarris Reed Jr. there will be a leadership void next season for the Huskies. Demary filled that role at times this past season with his grittiness on defense and unselfish play on offense.Â
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Next season, he’ll be asked to bring Hurley’s intense attitude onto the floor.
“It’s time to step into a role where guys are constantly leaning on me, and I’ve got to be at my best every day to give the team what I need,” Demary noted. “I thrive off challenges, going against what people think I can’t do. It’s definitely something I’m looking forward to. I think I’m going to do a great job at it. I have the support of my teammates and coaches pushing me every day.”
UConn’s Silas Demary Jr. controls for the Huskies in the second half of the NCAA National Championship Game against Michigan at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Ind., Monday, April 6, 2026.
Dave Zajac/Hearst Connecticut Media
It’ll be easier, he added, now that he’s entering his second year in the program and will know how to navigate the summer, the preseason and into November.
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“I definitely feel a lot more comfortable with the staff, even with (the media). Definitely, Year Two I’ll be able to attack things certain ways and be better every day.”
Demary was certainly pretty good this past season. Transferring to Storrs after two years at Georgia, Demary handled the reins of “PG” swimmingly. He led the Big East in assists by a lot (7.4 per game in league action) while averaging 10.1 points per game and shooting 38.5 percent from 3. He earned First Team all-conference and All-Defensive Team honors, and the 6-foot-4 guard was even third on the Huskies in rebounding (4.5 per contest). He notched a triple-double and fell one assist shy of notching a second.
There were some blips along the way. In a few games, the turnovers piled up: nine at St. John’s, seven at Villanova, five against Texas. He knows he’s got to clean that up a bit.
UConn’s Silas Demary Jr. speaks during a press conference at the Werth Family UConn Basketball Champions Center in Storrs, Conn., Tuesday, April 28, 2026.
Dave Zajac/Hearst Connecticut Media
But he also knows he can improve in areas where he’s already accomplished a lot. Not known as an elite 3-point shooter (35 percent) at Georgia, he not only improved that number in overall games but was even better in the Big East, where Demary shot a whopping 47.3 percent in league play.
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“Coach says I don’t give myself the credit for being a good shooter, because he sees me putting in the time,” Demary noted. “There’s always going to be people saying I can’t shoot or this and that.”
But he’ll let the haters hate from afar.
“I feel like I’m the best player in the country,” Demary added. “I feel like every player should feel like that. You’ve got to carry that confidence with yourself and rely on the hours and hours being in the gym, knowing you can knock down those shots.”
Really, returning to UConn made all the sense of the world. Despite his strong season, Demary likely wouldn’t have been selected until late in the second round of the NBA Draft, if at all. Complicating matters, of course, was the high ankle sprain he suffered in the Big East championship loss to St. John’s on March 14.
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The injury would have kept most players out for weeks, but after sitting out the Huskies’ opening-round NCAA tournament win over Furman, Demary was back on the floor two days later against UCLA, and back in the starting lineup for the Huskies’ run through the East Regionals and Final Four.
His numbers suffered, though he still came up big with 11 points and a couple of key 3-pointers in the Elite 8 win over Duke, while doling out seven assists in the Final Four triumph over Illinois. The respect and admiration for his toughness and willingness to play through injury grew by leaps and bounds.
UConn guard Silas Demary Jr. (2) shoots as Michigan forward Morez Johnson Jr. (21) looks on during the first half of the NCAA college basketball tournament national championship game at the Final Four, Monday, April 6, 2026, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
Abbie Parr/Associated Press
“I’m willing to put my health on the line to bring a win here,” he noted. “That’s how important it is to win here.”
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But he and the Huskies fell short of their ultimate goal.
“We didn’t end up winning it all. That would’ve been the cherry on top. But, it gives me something to push for. We just played in the national championship, but you don’t want to just be the team that played in it. You want to be the team that hoists the trophy.”
Demary would have needed at least a couple of weeks to rest his ankle before beginning to prepare for NBA workouts, had he chosen that route. It just didn’t make sense.
“You don’t want to throw yourself out there when you’re not really 100-percent,” he noted. “The smarter decision is another year of hard work, Coach helping me become a better point guard, learning the system and being more consistent.”
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There was no debate on whether to hit the transfer portal. Demary, the kid from Raleigh, N.C. who spent his first two years at Georgia, has found a home in Storrs.
“I’m a guy that’s built on loyalty. I only move if I have to, and I felt like I didn’t have to move. Everything here was perfect for me and my family.”
And so, there was UConn’s PG/QB-1 addressing the media on Tuesday, already focused on what it will take to put his name among the all-time UConn greats.
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“Being able to complete those goals of winning championships next year,” he said, “would kind of cement my legacy here.”