UConn Seen As Favorites To Land 'Top-10 Player In The Country' 2025 Big Man
The UConn Huskies could be close to inking their first commitment in the 2025 class.
As back-to-back national championship head coach Dan Hurley and his staff continue to pursue the likes of Meleek Thomas, Braylon Mullins, Acaden Lewis, Eric Reibe, and Niko Bundalo on the recruiting trail, Bundalo appears in reports to be the prospect of these five most closely linked to UConn.
The six-foot-ten big out of Napa, California is widely seen as a top-25 player in his class, but some scouts think he’s even more elite than that.
On Tuesday, Stock Risers’ Jake Weingarten appeared on Mark Zanetto’s Locked On UConn podcast and discussed, among other things, Bundalo’s surging stock and electric relationship with Hurley.
“Niko Bundalo is a guy that UConn fans should definitely feel great about,” Weingarten said. “He’s a guy that I’ve said publicly is a top-10 player in the country. He’s so fun to watch, and I think a dynamic between him and Coach Hurley would be electric.”
“I think the biggest aspect of his game is his playmaking … but also being able to score from the midrange and also stretch and shoot the three-ball. He’s an electric player, simply put. … Just the energy and high motor he brings. He’s got a lot of crazy aspects of his game that I think make him a top-10 player in the nation.”
While Reibe’s been discussed as the cream of the big man crop in 2025, the way that Weingarten talks about Bundalo makes it seem that there’s not much of a difference in potential between the two players.
On Monday, Zanetto predicted that UConn will ultimately land Bundalo.
“I think we get Niko Bundalo in kind of a surprise,” Zanetto said. “I think he was really enamored with UConn (during his visit). I think he would fit in perfectly for (UConn) in terms of his size and his frame. What is underrated about Niko is his defensive ability. … He fits for what UConn is trying to do. … He’s a six-foot-eleven kid who can shoot it (and) play good defense … He can handle the dribble hand-offs, he can handle the decisions and the processing.”
Multiple signs point to Bundalo leaning toward Storrs, but in the recruiting world, everything can flip in an instant.
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Colin Keane is a contributing journalist for "UConn Huskies On SI." Born in Illinois, Colin grew up in Massachusetts as the third of four brothers. For his high school education, Colin attended St. Mark's School (Southborough, MA), where he played basketball and soccer and served as student body president. He went on to receive a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from Villanova University. Colin currently resides in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding "UConn Huskies On SI," please reach out to Scott Neville: scott@wtfsports.org