The incoming freshmen class for UConn men’s basketball is small in number but certainly mighty everywhere else. The additions of Colben Landrew, Junior County and Egor Amosov might pale in comparison to the addition of transfers like Nik Khamenia and Na’jai Hines and the return of Braylon Mullins, but these first-year players look to be primed to carve out their own significant roles on an already talented UConn team.
Colben Landrew
Landrew is the crown jewel of this year’s class, which ranked No. 20 overall. The
Marietta, Georgia native was the No. 26 overall recruit in the Class of 2026 and could end up spending just one season in Storrs. Landrew’s body is NBA-ready at 6-foot-6 and 236 pounds, and he embraces physicality both at the rim and on the defensive end.
While it’s still early, Landrew looks incredibly comfortable on both sides of the ball. Offensively, he singlehandedly took over a stretch of the second half in the exhibition win over Purdue on the way to a 15-point effort. Defensively, his size allows him to guard a variety of positions and has shown enough quickness to handle guards on the perimeter. The ability to score around the rim and athleticism that Landrew plays with evoked a Caron Butler comparison from former assistant coach and general manager Tom Moore — no small praise given Butler’s accolades both at UConn and in the NBA.
With everyone healthy, Landrew is coming off the bench as the sixth man but still earning plenty of minutes. His versatility and talent may eventually win out, and while Jayden Ross technically got the last starting spot over him, it’s very likely the two share the court for stretches due to their defensive chops and complementary skills on the offensive end. As the the Preseason Big East Freshman of the Year, the pressure is already on Landrew to a degree, but if he continues to look as comfortable as he did in the exhibition games, the award is his to lose — and so is the Big East Sixth Man of the Year award.
Junior County
County was UConn’s first commitment of the 2026 class and comes to Storrs as the No. 46 recruit in the class. After turning a lot of heads (and drawing high praise from Jon Rothstein) over the summer, County already has the look of a steady veteran in Dan Hurley’s complex system. The 6-foot-5 Utah product posted six assists to just turnovers in his three exhibition games and totaled 24 points.
With Silas Demary Jr. on a seemingly All-American trajectory, County likely won’t be asked to run the offense for significant stretches. But if he can hold down the fort for 10-12 minutes a game, it allows for more rest for Demary Jr. and the ability for Demary Jr. to play off the ball more than he did last season, where he is a knockdown catch-and-shoot shooter.
County’s handling of the offense and stingy perimeter defense will make him a rotation mainstay all season. The fact that he is hitting open shots — County shot 50 percent from three in the preseason — doesn’t hurt either. Having another ball handler to complement Demary Jr. is so crucial, and while Ross and Solo Ball can do so in a pinch, both are better served coming off screens in the offense.
Egor Amosov
Amosov was the last addition to the 2026 class, but maybe the most accomplished of the three. The Russian played for Real Madrid’s Liga U U22 squad last season, earning league MVP honors after averaging 14.6 points, and 6.0 rebounds per game. At 6-foot-7, Amosov has good size as a wing and is comfortable getting shots off quickly coming off screens, an action very prevalent in UConn’s offense.
As a late commit to the Huskies, Amosov will likely be a slower burn than Landrew and County, who enter the season as immediate rotation players. Amosov will likely see minutes against lesser competition, but could see time against high-major opponents early on if the Huskies need a shooting spark off of the bench. It may take some time for Amosov to adjust to life in American and high-major college basketball, but the potential and pedigree is there for him to emerge as a contributor later on this season.
