UConn freshman James Bouknight accepted into accelerated rehab program

UConn men’s basketball freshman James Bouknight has been accepted into an accelerated rehab program which could lead to his charges for an “on-campus vehicular incident” in September getting dropped.

Bouknight was charged with evading responsibility, interfering with a police officer, traveling too fast for conditions and operating a motor vehicle without a license. However, those charges will be acquitted if he pays restitution for the damage caused when he drove someone else’s car into a street sign and a second vehicle and avoids anymore legal trouble for the next year.

With Bouknight’s legal court in the rearview mirror, the focus can now turn to his impact on the basketball court. The win over Florida marked the end of his three-game team suspension, which means Bouknight will make his UConn debut on Thursday against Buffalo in the Charleston Classic — assuming nothing happens between now and then.

Despite only being a freshman, expectations are high for Bouknight within the program. From Hearst CT’s Dave Borges:

His return (arrival?) should give the Huskies a boost: Those around the program say he may already be the team’s best, pure scorer.

Even with the Huskies’ upset over No. 15 Florida, scoring hasn’t always come easy for UConn this season. Adding a player like Bouknight who gives the team another legitimate option on offense will help take the pressure off Christian Vital and Josh Carlton while also helping reduce the number of scoring droughts going forward.