The No. 2 seed UConn Huskies and No. 15 seed Furman Paladins face off in the East Region first round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday night at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia. Tipoff is set for 10:00 p.m. ET. Both teams are eager to advance to the next round, where they will play the winner of the UCLA-UCF matchup.
UConn Injury Updates: The Latest on Silas Demary Jr. and Jaylin Stewart
Five players are listed on the initial NCAA Tournament availability report, with two from UConn and one from Furman marked as “questionable.” Meanwhile, two Paladins players are considered “out” for the tournament.
The report stated Georgia transfer Silas Demary Jr. (ankle) and Jaylin Stewart (knee) are questionable to play in Friday’s game for the Huskies, who aim to win their seventh men’s college basketball national title overall.
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However, Hartford Courant UConn men’s basketball and football beat writer Joe Arruda spoke to Demary on Thursday afternoon, and the guard said he will be “good to go” for Friday’s game.
Huskies head coach Dan Hurley confirmed the guard’s status, jokingly saying: “I was getting ready to check that questionable box.” In 34 games, the 6-foot-4 guard from Raleigh, North Carolina, has averaged 11 points, 4.6 rebounds, 6.3 assists, and 1.6 steals per game. He has been the team’s top playmaker on the court and averages 31 minutes.
Demary was injured in UConn’s last game against St. John’s in the Big East Tournament final. He briefly returned but was eventually helped off after his injured ankle flared up again during the game. His absence gave backup point guard Malachi Smith a chance to run the first unit’s plays, but it was obvious he wasn’t yet ready for the role.
Stewart, meanwhile, said he participated in the team’s practice along with Demary. He added that he was moving well during drills. However, it will be up to Hurley to decide whether to give the forward a chance to play against Furman.
The 6-foot-7 junior is averaging 4.5 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 1.2 assists per game in 28 games this season for the Huskies. He last played on February 21 against Villanova.
Furman Injury News: Collin O’Neal Questionable for First Round
Furman listed 6-foot-4 freshman guard Collin O’Neal as “questionable” for the March Madness first-round game against UConn on Friday, as he has not played in over two months. Reports indicate that a recurring lower-body problem has limited O’Neal to only eight appearances since December 2025.
He has played in 17 games for Furman, averaging 10.4 minutes, 2.9 points, and 1.4 rebounds per game. O’Neal’s teammates, Davis Molnar and Mason Smith, are listed as out for the first-round game against the Huskies.
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Molnar, a 6-foot-6 junior, is out for the season after suffering a major lower-body injury during a preseason exhibition game against Alabama. Smith has been out since January after suffering a season-ending injury in a game against Wofford after just four minutes on the court.
UConn and Furman have met twice, with the Huskies winning both. Their most recent game was on November 21, 2015, at Gampel Pavilion, where the Huskies beat the Paladins 83-58. The first-round March Madness game is available on TBS and can be streamed on Max, Fubo, Sling TV, and the March Madness app.
