Dan Hurley, UConn Land 6-Foot-10 Oskar Giltay in Transfer Portal
Dan Hurley and the UConn Huskies have added another key player to their roster via the transfer portal, following the departures of big men Tarris Reed Jr. and Eric Reibe.
On Friday, news arrived that Oskar Giltay has committed to play for UConn after leaving Stanford for the transfer portal. Giltay, originally from Bilzen, Belgium, is a 6-foot-10, 235-pound sophomore who averaged 3.3 points and 4.1 rebounds in 14.6 minutes per game last season with the Cardinal.
The portal news was reported by On3, which learned of Giltay’s commitment from his agent, Dillon Buchanan, and Pine Sports Group.
The 19-year-old Giltay is listed as a forward on his stats page, but one would think that he’ll become the backup for another transfer portal big man, Najai Hines. The Huskies officially added Hines, a transfer from the Big East’s Seton Hall, to their roster last week.
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UConn had the right players at center during its three runs to the National Championship game, with Adama Sonogo, Donovan Clingan, and Tarris Reed Jr. all significant contributors to the Huskies’ NCAA Tournament success over the past four seasons.
Reed Jr. emerged as a dominant frontcourt presence in March Madness, but his eligibility ran out after the postseason. Soon after the transfer portal opened, backup Eric Reibe left and has since joined the USC Trojans.
Giltay is still young and could develop into the sort of future starter that Hurley wants on the squad. His most likely role will be to give Hines rest during games, or replace him in instances of foul trouble, but it remains to be seen what the mastermind UConn coach decides.
Based on this highlight featuring Giltay playing defense to block a shot and then hustling down the court for a slam dunk, UConn fans should have further reason for excitement about the upcoming season.
There has been mostly positive news for UConn this offseason. Following the departures of Reed Jr., Alex Karaban, and Malachi Smith, they’ve added three players from the portal. In addition to Giltay and Hines, Duke transfer Nik Khamenia also joined the Huskies roster.
Freshman phenom Braylon Mullins will return for his second season under Hurley, and teammates Silas DeMary Jr. and Jaden Ross have also announced they will return. The team saw Jaylen Stewart depart for the transfer portal and announced that Solo Ball will miss the entire season after wrist surgery.
Still, a potential backcourt of DeMary Jr. and Mullins could be among the best in the nation. A lot will depend on how UConn’s frontcourt looks, the development of the Huskies’ incoming recruits, and how Hurley finds backups for his backcourt.
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This story was originally published April 24, 2026 at 9:18 AM.