UConn Interested in Former 4-Star Center Franck Kepnang from Transfer Portal

Story by

Nate Lunak

Thu, Apr 16, 2026 ·

2 min read

The UConn Huskies 2025-26 college basketball season ended with a loss to the No. 1-seeded Michigan Wolverines in the national championship. It was a disappointing end to a great season for the Huskies, who finished the year 34-6.

However, Dan Hurley and his staff didn't have long to recover from the loss. On April 7, one day after losing to Michigan, the transfer portal officially opened. UConn has already lost four players. Among the losses are centers Eric Reibe and Rrezon Elezaj.

The Huskies are also set to lose center Tarris Reed Jr., who started 35 games last season but has exhausted all of his eligibility.

UConn Huskies head coach Dan Hurley.David Butler II-Imagn Images

With all of the losses, Hurley is weighing his options for potential replacements. On Thursday, On3's Jamie Shaw reported that UConn is among several teams to show interest in former Washington Huskies center Franck Kepnang.

"The second his name showed up in the transfer portal, he created quite the stir with college coaches," Shaw wrote. "I am told that Michigan State, Oklahoma, Ohio State , Seton Hall, NC State , Michigan, UConn and Saint Louis are among the early schools to show interest in the 6-foot-11, 253-pound native of Cameroon."

Kepnang originally committed to the Oregon Ducks as a four-star recruit in the 2020 cycle, per Rivals Industry Rankings. After two years in Eugene, he transferred to Washington, where he's been since.

He is coming off a solid season with the Huskies. Kepnang appeared in 27 games and made 25 starts, averaging 6.2 points , 6.3 rebounds and 0.2 assists. The graduate student also shot 51.5% from the field.

With one more year of eligibility, he is garnering interest from a handful of teams. If UConn can land his commitment, Kepnang would be the team's second transfer portal addition this offseason, joining forward Najai Hines (Seton Hall Pirates).

This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Apr 16, 2026, where it first appeared in the College Basketball section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.