As he considered the NBA draft last spring, Ryan Boatright looked up.

The rafters at Gampel Pavilion feature the jerseys of a point guard lineage few programs can match. Kemba Walker, Khalid El-Amin and Shabazz Napier all won titles for the Huskies. Now they are locked into the Huskies of Honor, homage to a program that has won four national championships since 1999.

Boatright has a ring, and he wasn't just some sidekick in the pursuit of it. He was a key veteran and leader with that team. He averaged 13.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.8 steals per game during last season's title run.

Those names and numbers in the Huskies of Honor represent something bigger than a trophy, though.

Walker, El-Amin and Napier guided their respective teams to championships and earned a lasting slot within UConn's rich legacy because they were great leaders. Boatright covets the same tag.

Ryan Boatright wants his place in UConn history. He knows this season will determine that. AP Photo/Eric Gay

Yes, he is after his degree and another championship and hopes to improve his stock for next summer's NBA draft, but he is also focused on leadership because he recognizes that the Huskies might not win another title unless he supplies it.

"It feels good because when you come in here, you come in UConn, you got a lot of great players," Boatright said. "You've got to earn your spot around here. I feel like paid my dues. I worked hard enough for it to be on my shoulders and for me to lead the team."

The defense of Connecticut's national title will demand more than a bountiful season by Boatright. Good thing he has some help.

No DeAndre Daniels, but Amida Brimah and a bigger Phil Nolan (gained 20 pounds during the offseason) are back. Glue guys Terrence Samuel and Omar Calhoun return too. NC State transfer and former McDonald's All American Rodney Purvis could be a star after averaging 8.3 points per game in his freshman season with the Wolfpack in 2012-13. Freshman Daniel Hamilton was ranked 30th in the 2014 class by RecruitingNation.

But all talented teams risk derailment if their nucleus comes undone. That's where leaders must be consistent and selfless.

"We carry it all together," UConn coach Kevin Ollie said. "It's not one brother carrying it. That's not a brotherhood. That's somebody on his own trying to do everything, and you'll always fail doing that. He understands that. I think the better he looks, the better his teammates have looked. I think he's really trying to get that across: 'I gotta make these other guys better. Yeah, I can score 20 points and be the Boat Show, but that's not going to get me too far.'"

In summer pickup games, Boatright's teammates noticed the guard's edge. It was just unsanctioned summer ball among friends, but the senior played like the Huskies were still in the Big Dance.

"Sometimes he just came out and scored probably like five, six in a row," Samuel said. "He just showed that he could score when he wants, like he's the man and he's going to be taking the big shots this year."

Boatright was crucial in UConn's success last season. He struggled, however, with consistency. He would follow a strong effort with a 3-for-11 night. He was sidetracked emotionally too. In January, a cousin who was more like a brother lost his life in a late-night shooting.

So Boatright had to regain his focus through the slumps he endured. Those experiences helped him mature and grow.

"Over the last year, I can say that I became a man," Boatright said. "Honestly, my year individually was horrible. My regular season was horrible. On the court, my frustration was very high -- on and off of it."

Until March, when everything seemed to work for Boatright and his teammates. The Huskies rumbled through Saint Joseph's, Villanova, Iowa State, Michigan State, Florida and Kentucky in one of the most impressive postseason rallies in recent college basketball history.

Boatright wants another championship. So he's pushing his teammates to the physical extremes that helped the Huskies prepare for last season's run.

"He's just being a leader," Nolan said. "You hear his voice every day, every single day."

Shabazz Napier, left, is gone. So the Huskies are now Ryan Boatright's team to lead. AP Photo/Jason DeCrow

Boatright is also making an effort to understand his teammates individually since leadership is less about delivery and demonstration than reception. He has learned that he can't connect with every player with the same methods. So he's cautious now.

Earlier in his career, he lacked that tact.

"I'm pretty vocal, but in my younger years, I think I either yelled too much or I wasn't yelling enough," Boatright said. "I think I've found that balance. You can't yell at everybody. For some, you have to pull them to the side, talk to them firmly. Everybody makes mistakes."

He devoured film of his teammates over the summer. Boatright wants to know exactly where each guy wants the ball and how.

He's worked on his attack from the perimeter so he can be a "knockdown 3-point shooter off the dribble" this season. And he's taken the proper time to recover from nagging ankle and shoulder injuries.

Now he's ready for the responsibility that will come with being the key leader on a team seeking back-to-back titles.

"I'm just working extremely hard, giving that 110 percent and showing everyone that we didn't win that title doing what we were supposed to do; we won it by doing what we weren't supposed to do," Boatright said. "Once you get there, it's like everything else is a failure if you don't get back there."

That's the same attitude that El-Amin had. Same one that Walker and Napier displayed too.

Boatright has also embraced that swagger. His teammates are inspired by his confidence and trust that he will lead like those UConn legends.

"He's going to be huge," Samuel said. "He's a senior. He's showing us he's a senior. He's playing tough. He's just gotta lead us. I've been telling him since summer."