NEW YORK – Braylon Mullins was a center of attention at Big East Media Day, swarmed by reporters and losing track of the amount of times he was asked about “The Shot.”
“I think it’s over 10 now,” he said, about midway through Thursday’s event at the Marriott Marquis in Times Square.
Dan Hurley, predictably, was also in heavy demand, even having a cup of coffee spilled on him by an overexuberant reporter during one media scrum.
Silas Demary Jr., named Big East Preseason Player of the Year earlier in the day, perhaps had the best idea – he was back in Storrs, battling an illness.
Jayden Ross didn’t attract the same amount of attention on Thursday. He wasn’t named Preseason Player of the Year or to All-Big East First Team (like Mullins) or second team (like sophomore Na’jai Hines). In fact, the player he may be battling with for the starting small forward spot, Colben Landrew, earned Preseason Freshman of the Year honors in absentia.
But for the UConn men’s basketball team to return to the Final Four for the fourth time in five years, Ross will be as key a figure as any on the Huskies’ roster. The 6-foot-7 senior forward needs to complete the arc of his career from a player who drew raves in practices but couldn’t make it translate to games, to a bundle of defensive energy off the bench, to a major rotation player.
“You need him to take the next step, a guy that really complements Braylon and Silas on the perimeter,” Hurley said. “You saw that last year with the group’s efficiency when he played. He’s paid his dues, and you want to see it come to fruition. He’s a program guy, and he’s got excellent talent.”
UConn’s Jayden Ross answers questions at Big East Media Day on Thursday in New York City. (David Borges/Hearst CT Media)
Ross has started exactly one of the 94 games he’s played at UConn. For him to make that two and a lot more, he may have to beat out Landrew, a 6-8, 240-pound specimen who has drawn raves from everyone around the program, including Hurley … and Ross himself.
“When I think of Colben I think of a college-ready body, college-ready athleticism, college-ready skill,” Ross said. “Really professional-level for all those things. As he continues to develop, he’s going to continue to get so much better.”
Hurley has been most impressed by Landrew’s “physical strength, and the fact that he knew how tough it was going to be, how hard we were going to coach him. He wanted that challenge. That speaks to him and his makeup. But, he’s going through what all these freshmen go through. His brain is overloaded with basketball information – offensively, defensively.”
“It’s a lot. But, he’s got physical strength, and he’s coming in every day and showing up and battling, even when he’s sore and tired.”
UConn’s Colben Landrew speaks to members of the media after a summer practice at the Werth Family Basketball Champions Center in Storrs, Conn., Friday, August 7, 2026. (Dave Zajac/Hearst Connecticut Media)
There is early talk of Landrew potentially being a one-and-done NBA Draft pick next spring. But that’s a long way off. For now, he and Ross are battling for the starting small forward spot.
“There’s always competition,” Ross noted. “Everybody wants to have that role on the team and have that starting position. We both go at it every day. I think it’s a healthy thing to have. It gets you both better, competing at the highest level every day and be as consistent as you can to earn that spot.”
Hurley was non-committal about Ross’s chances to break the starting rotation.
“Every day’s competition for every spot,” the coach said. “No one’s been promised anything, no one’s really earned anything yet. Obviously, you’ve got expectations at a number of positions. But, we’ll see how the exhibitions go, how the practices go, and we’ll reward people with what they’ve earned.”
Ross obviously has the experience, a member of two Final Four teams who’s entering his fourth season of competition. That could be valuable for UConn, especially against an early-season, non-conference schedule that is probably the best in the country.
But Landrew might be too talented to start the season coming off the bench. And Ross just might be the quintessential sixth man, supplying a boost of energy as first man off the bench.
“Obviously, I want to be able to start, it’s my senior year,” Ross said. “I think either one of us would be deserving. But at the end of the day, we’re both going to do what we can to help the team.”
This was Ross’s first Big East Media Day. It’s likely his last, though not necessarily. Thanks to new 5-in-5 legislation, Ross could return for a fifth year next season.
Dan Hurley meets with reporters at UConn Media Day on Thursday. (David Borges/Hearst CT Media)
“You see how the season goes,” Ross said. “It would be a blessing to stay at a school like this for another year. But, you never know what God has in store. I’ll just go by that and see what happens.”
But that’s a long way off. For now, Jayden Ross is battling for a starting spot while savoring every second and enjoying the ride.
“As the year goes on, I’m going to try to embrace everything,” he said. “You never know, where college basketball is at now. Being able to embrace something like this has been amazing. I’m definitely taking it in.”
“It’s a privilege man, for sure,” Ross continued. “I definitely don’t take things like this for granted.”
“I think we have a lot of talent, a lot of respect. But I think it goes back to the culture we have with Coach Hurley, how we operate things over here, how we’re able to transition, year-in, year-out.”
“It’s a privilege man, for sure. I definitely don’t take things like this for granted.”
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