The UConn men's basketball program has finally reached the stage in the rebuilding process when it has far more answers than questions.

The Huskies have injected the roster with talent by adding some quality recruiting classes.

They're deeper and more versatile than they've ever been during coach Dan Hurley's tenure. And they've undergone a physical transformation.

"Our roster is like night and day, practices are like night and day from a competitive standpoint," said Hurley, who begins his third season. "We'll have a lot more answers to a lot more questions that we haven't had answers to in the last couple of years."

The Huskies have bought into Hurley's culture and commitment level.

Their confidence is soaring, too, coming off a 19-win season during which they experienced a vital growth spurt and learned how to win.

They've reached this crucial point just as they rejoin the Big East Conference.

"Our confidence is at an all-time high," sophomore James Bouknight said. "We're extremely confident in what we can do on the court. We learned how to win by the end of (last) year so we're just trying to take that momentum and bring it into this year."

No doubt the Huskies, who return seven of their nine top scorers, are a program on the rise. So far, everything has gone exactly according to Hurley's master rebuilding plan.

But they're not yet at the mountain top. They're hungry for more.

"We just want to take another big step as a program and continue to make progress and keep elevating things," Hurley said, "eventually get to the point where we're competing for the Big East championship and the national championship. That's what you sign on for to do here."

Some questions to ponder before one of the most anticipated seasons in recent UConn basketball history tips off on Wednesday:

• Can UConn thrive in the fiercely competitive Big East?

As a former Seton Hall player, Hurley knows how ultra competitive the Big East can be.

The Huskies are about to enter a new world, one that is far less forgiving than their previous conference home in the American.

Gone are games against East Carolina, Tulane and Central Florida. The three teams that reside at the bottom of the Big East coaches' preseason poll are St. John's, DePaul and Georgetown. Not exactly pushovers.

And the Huskies, who won only four true road games in Hurley's first two years, will have to find a way to consistently win away from home.

"For us, the difference from where we've been the last couple of years is these games are high profile, like everyone is watching Big East basketball," Hurley said. "These are national stage games. This is absolutely no nights off, home or away. You can lose any game."

UConn, which never came close to winning a regular season title in its seven years in the AAC but did win a national championship in 2014, will have to deal with the added burden that comes with expectations. The Huskies were picked fourth in the league preseason poll.

Five Big East games before Christmas break, including a road trip to Providence and home game versus nationally-ranked Creighton, will provide an early look at where the Huskies stand.

• Can Tyler Polley and Akok Akok make successful comebacks from injuries?

It's difficult to predict how quickly returning starters Polley and Akok will return to prime form. The sooner they do, the better off the Huskies will be.

Polley will likely be ready for Wednesday's opener against Central Connecticut while Akok's return date is projected to be sometime in December.

Prior to tearing his left ACL in practice in early January, forcing him to miss the last 16 games, Polley was playing his best basketball. In his last game, he contributed season highs in points (19) and rebounds (11) in a win over Tulane on Jan. 8.

He's considered UConn's best perimeter shooter, converting a team-best 40 percent from 3-point range last season, and also is one of three seniors on the team.

"He's a critical, critical guy for us as a stretch four man where we really like him, especially recovering from the knee injury," Hurley said. "He's gained a lot physically from our strength program. He's just gotta knock the rust off. A guy that shoots the ball like that at 6-8 that can guard one through four, that's a major weapon for us."

Akok's comeback road will be longer due to the severity of his injury — a torn Achilles' tendon that kept him sidelined for the last six games. Hurley won't rush Akok back until the redshirt sophomore forward is healthy. Teammates feed off of Akok's energy and enthusiasm. Akok also is a valuable rim protector on defense.

He's worked his "tail off" during the rehab process, according to Hurley.

"Watching his recovery has been inspiring," Hurley said.

• Who will make the biggest impact among the newcomers?

For UConn to have a special season, it will need key contributions from several of their new players (there are six newcomers).

Freshmen Adama Sanogo, Andre Jackson and Javonte Brown are part of a strong incoming recruiting class. Transfers R.J. Cole and Tyrese Martin have proven themselves at previous stops. Forward Richie Springs is eligible after sitting out last season as an academic redshirt.

Jackson, Cole and Martin will likely make the biggest impact.

An athletic 6-6 guard, Jackson has future star potential.

"He's got a chance to be a special player," Hurley said. "As a freshman, he's going to have a major impact and obviously compete to start as a freshman and have a chance to be potentially one of the more impactful freshmen guards in the country if everything breaks right."

Cole, a redshirt junior point guard, and Martin can be plugged into the rotation and produce right away. At Howard, Cole was a lethal scorer and playmaker, averaging 22.5 points, 6.2 assists and 4.0 rebounds during two seasons.

"He's a really, really beautiful offensive point guard," Hurley said. "He's a guy that's really easy to play with if you're one of the four other guys on the court with him because he doesn't over dribble. He's got tremendous vision and he gets the ball to people on target and on time."

Martin, a rugged 6-6 junior guard, brings versatility and much-needed toughness. He averaged 12.8 points and 7.1 rebounds last season at Rhode Island. He also is a hard-nosed defender.

"He brings a lot of positional versatility," Hurley said. "He can play anywhere from a second guard to a small ball four man in a four guard set up. A super athlete. Really, really physically strong at around 220. Could be a high, high level defender. Big time finisher. Big time up on the backboard potentially. And a guy that's got a little bit of edge to him, a little bit of dog in him."

• How will roles be defined and accepted?

Depth is UConn's biggest strength, according to Hurley. It will allow Hurley to fully implement his preferred style of play.

"We could go 10, potentially 11 deep when we're fully healthy," Hurley said. "That's the way I like it, because I want to play a pressure system at both ends of the court. And we've lacked the depth the last two years to really implement the way I want to play. We can do that this year."

It will take time to sort out the rotation. Ultimately, players will have to accept their roles for Huskies to take another giant step forward.

Bouknight, a rising star, and senior forward Isaiah Whaley will anchor the starting lineup. Expect senior Josh Carlton, who's coming off a down year but started 81 games in his first three seasons, to be in the starting frontcourt. Polley could regain his starting job while Cole and sophomore Jalen Gaffney are competing to run the point. Also throw Martin, Jackson and junior Brendan Adams into the mix. Once healthy, Akok will be a regular in the rotation. Sanogo could be a factor as a freshman.

"We're going to have to make some hard decisions about what five guys are going to start games and what the rotation is going to be like," Hurley said. "We've got a lot of depth. We've got a number of good players."

It's a good problem to have. But also could potentially be a problem, too.

• Who's the leader to follow?

Christian Vital was clearly the team leader last season. He exuded confidence and also instilled it in his teammates. He carried them on his back at times down the stretch.

With Vital and his Alpha dog personality gone, there's a leadership void to fill.

Hurley believes leadership will come from multiple players — some by voice, some by example.

Bouknight stated his case during the preseason, pushing his teammates and being a vocal presence.

"James has become a better communicator," Hurley said. "James is modeling for all the young guys and the older guys. James is modeling a lot of the play-in and play-out intensity and urgency that Christian brought that was so valuable to the program last year."

Veterans Carlton, Polley, Whaley and Adams as well as experienced newcomers Martin and Cole are all candidates.

"Now I'm a senior, it's time to take on more responsibility and take on more leadership," Polley said. "I'm excited for the role. I'm excited to step up to the challenge."

g.keefe@theday.com