Latest news with #AlexKaraban
Boston Globe
2 days ago
- Sport
- Boston Globe
AJ Dybantsa and BYU to face UConn at TD Garden this fall
It'll be a matchup between teams projected to be among the preseason top 10, as well as between two of the top New England players in college basketball. Advertisement Dybantsa will face a UConn team led by Southborough native Alex Karaban, a two-time national champion who averaged 14.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game last season. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up 'The game against UConn in Boston is going to be a great test for our team and allow Cougar fans all over the East Coast to see us play in one of the premier venues in the NBA,' BYU coach Kevin Young said in a statement. The game will be the Huskies' first in Boston since the 2024 East Regional, when UConn blew past San Diego State in the Sweet 16 and Illinois in the Elite Eight en route to becoming repeat national champion. It will be UConn's second appearance in the Hall of Fame Series after the Huskies beat Gonzaga at Madison Square Garden in December. Advertisement 'The Hall of Fame Series has been great to us in the past, so it was a no-brainer to jump at an opportunity to play an elite opponent in 'Storrs North,' ' UConn coach Dan Hurley said in a statement. 'We know it will be a quality event with a great crowd and a stiff test to see where we are as a team.' One week after the game at TD Garden, the Naismith Hall of Fame also will put on a showcase featuring Boston University, Harvard, Providence, and Penn State at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. Additionally, UConn men's and women's basketball teams will take part in an exhibition doubleheader against Boston College at Mohegan Sun Arena on Oct. 13. It'll be the teams' first meeting on the women's side since 2005, and first on the men's side since 2013. Emma Healy can be reached at
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
UConn men's, women's teams to compete in Hall of Fame Exhibition games at Mohegan Sun Arena
UNCASVILLE, Conn. (WTNH) — The UConn men's and women's basketball teams will compete against the Boston College Eagles on Oct. 13 at Mohegan Sun Arena as a part of the second annual Basketball Hall of Fame Exhibition Event. For the women's team, it will be their first action since winning their 12th National Championship in April. The men's team competed in the preseason event last year, defeating the University of Rhode Island Rams 102-75. The UConn women's basketball team has won the last five Big East Championships, all hosted at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville. Paige Bueckers returns to Connecticut hoping to get her first win as a pro Both teams are returning players from last year's seasons, including Alex Karaban and Solo Ball for the men and Azzi Fudd and Sarah Strong for the women. 'We had a great experience playing in the Hall of Fame Exhibition game last year,' said UConn men's basketball Head Coach Dan Hurley. 'It's an honor to be asked back and even more special to be competing alongside our championship women's program. The Hall of Fame always puts on top-notch events, and it's an exciting opportunity to take on a quality opponent and give our fans an early look at this year's team.' Tickets will go on sale on Ticketmaster on Aug. 1 and at the Mohegan Sun Arena Box Office on Aug, 2. 'We're excited to participate in another Basketball Hall of Fame event this year,' said UConn women's basketball Head Coach Geno Auriemma. 'It'll be a great day for UConn fans to see both the men's and women's programs at Mohegan Sun to kick off the 2025-26 season.' More information can be found at Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Forbes
01-05-2025
- Sport
- Forbes
Alex Karaban Returns to UConn for Senior Season After Tough Year
UConn forward Alex Karaban celebrates after their win against Oklahoma in the first round of the ... More NCAA college basketball tournament, Friday, March 21, 2025, in Raleigh, N.C. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson) Alex Karaban's first two college seasons couldn't have been scripted much better. The 6-foot-8 forward started all but one game as a freshman and sophomore and helped the University of Connecticut win back-to-back NCAA men's basketball tournament championships in 2023 and 2024. Still, Karaban didn't have the same success last season, as the Huskies finished third in the Big East Conference's regular season and lost in the second round of the NCAA tournament to eventual national champion Florida. Karaban will now have an opportunity to close out his college career on a happier note. On Tuesday, he pulled out of the NBA draft and announced he would return to UConn for his senior season. 'I pride myself on accepting challenges and holding myself to the highest standard,' Karaban wrote on X. 'Last year, we didn't achieve what we set out to, and I am not running from a chance to make that right!' Karaban's return will make UConn among the favorites to win the national title and solidify his place among the program's all-time greats. If he can replicate what he's done the past three seasons, Karaban should become UConn's all-time leader in games played (he needs to appear in 33 games to surpass Shabazz Napier) and 3-pointers made (he needs 62 to surpass Rashad Anderson) and in the top 10 in career points. He is currently second all-time among UConn players with a 57.4% effective field goal percentage, only trailing Emeka Okafor (59.0%). Karaban averaged 14.3 points and 5.3 rebounds per game last season, both career-highs and third on the team, but he shot a career-low 43.8% from the field and 34.7% on 3-pointers. After playing the previous year with future NBA draft selections Donovan Clingan, Stephon Castle, Tristen Newton and Cam Spencer, averaging 13.3 points and shooting 49.5% from the field, Karaban struggled at times last season with a bigger role and with defenses aimed at stopping him. UConn was also inconsistent. The Huskies were No. 3 in the preseason Associated Press poll, but they lost three games in three days in November at the Maui Invitational in Hawaii to fall to No. 25. UConn then won eight consecutive games and rose to No. 9 in the poll, but the Huskies were unranked for the season's final month even though they finished 14-6 in the Big East. They lost in the semifinals of the Big East tournament. And in the NCAA tournament, they led Florida by six points midway through the second half and tied it with less than two minutes remaining before the Gators pulled off the 77-75 victory. Besides Karaban, the Huskies will also have back guard Solo Ball, who was second on the team in scoring (14.4 points per game) and shot 41.4% on 6.8 3-point attempts per game. Tarris Reed Jr., a 6-foot-10 center, is also returning. He led the team with 7.3 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game and averaged 9.6 points in just 19.9 minutes per game while shooting 67% from the field. Forwards Jaylin Stewart and Jayden Ross will be back for their junior seasons, too. UConn has added two transfers who should make immediate impacts, too, in Silas Demary Jr. (Georgia) and Malachi Smith (Dayton). Demary, a 6-foot-5 point guard, averaged 13.5 points as a sophomore last season. He is a big guard and two-way player in the mold of Newton, who was a first team All-American in 2024. Smith, a 6-foot guard, is much shorter than Demary, but he can also play point guard. He is coming off of a productive season (10.4 points and 5.3 assists per game) after only playing one game in 2023-24 due to a knee injury. UConn will also have two talented freshmen in 6-foot-5 guard Braylon Mullins and 7-foot center Eric Reibe, who are No. 15 and No. 28, respectively, in the high school class of 2025, per the 247Sports Composite. Mullins was the top player in Indiana this past season, averaging 32.9 points, 7.2 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 3.7 steals per game while shooting 47.6% on 3-pointers. Mullins is the second UConn recruit in as many seasons to be named a McDonald's high school All-American, joining Liam McNeeley, a 6-foot-7 wing who averaged a team-high 14.5 points last season and recently declared for the NBA draft. McNeeley is ranked 15th in ESPN's list of top draft prospects. Reibe, meanwhile, grew up in Germany and Switzerland and played the past two years at the Bullis School in Maryland. UConn coach Dan Hurley told Forbes contributor Adam Zagoria in December that Reibe is 'gonna have a huge impact on us' and praised his offensive game as a scorer and passer. With the players returning and new additions, UConn could be the preseason favorite to win the Big East, although reigning regular season and tournament champion St. John's has reloaded, too. The Red Storm return 6-foot-9 forward Zuby Ejiofor and have several talented transfers such as guards Ian Jackson (North Carolina), Dylan Darling (Idaho State), Joson Sanon (Arizona State), Oziyah Sellers (Arizona State), forwards Bryce Hopkins (Providence) and Dillon Mitchell (Cincinnati) and center Handje Tamba (Tennessee). For Karaban and the rest of the Huskies, this past season was much different and frustrating than the previous two when UConn dominated in the NCAA tournament, winning each of its games by at least 10 points. It will be nearly impossible to replicate that dominance next season, but the Huskies on paper have a roster that should fit better together than last season and a coaching staff that is looking to get back to its winning ways in March.
Reuters
29-04-2025
- Sport
- Reuters
Alex Karaban on return to UConn: 'Let's run it back'
UConn forward Alex Karaban withdrew from the upcoming NBA draft and will return to school for his senior season. A key cog on back-to-back national championship teams in 2023 and 2024, Karaban cited his desire to return the Huskies to glory after a second-round exit in the 2025 NCAA Tournament. "Last year, we didn't achieve what we set out to, and I'm not running from a chance to make that right!" Karaban posted Tuesday morning on X. "After deliberating the last few weeks with my coaches and family about my future, I've realized that my heart remains in Storrs, and I have unfinished business to chase another national championship with my brothers. "Let's run it back one last time! #LastDance" Karaban, who also entered the 2024 NBA Draft, boasted career-best averages in points (14.3), rebounds (5.3) and assists (2.8) in 33 games (all starts) last season. The 6-foot-8 forward has averaged 12.2 points, 4.9 boards and 1.9 assists in 111 games (110 starts) with the Huskies. --Field Level Media
USA Today
19-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
UConn junior Alex Karaban comments on pending NBA draft decision
UConn junior Alex Karaban comments on pending NBA draft decision UConn junior Alex Karaban said Saturday that he is still undecided on whether he'll declare for the 2025 NBA draft or return to school for another season. Karaban was named to the All-Big East second team this past season, averaging 14.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.5 blocks on 34.7% shooting from 3-point range. He became the 53rd player in program history to record at least 1,000 career points (1,353). The 22-year-old tested the predraft process last year before withdrawing from consideration, as the Huskies aimed to 3-peat as national champions. Now nearly one month removed from elimination in the NCAA Tournament, Karaban is still mulling his draft decision. "I'm not really too sure on what to do," Karaban said at his basketball camp, according to Erik Dobratz of WTNH-TV. "It has been a long wait, I know. It has been a process trying to decide what I want to do. I've been at UConn for a while, and I just love this place so much. It is hard to leave places that you love, but at the same time, it is also my dream to go to the NBA." Karaban registered seven 20-point games with the Huskies, including 20 points, seven assists, seven blocked shots and six rebounds in a win over Sacred Heart on Nov. 6. He became the first player in conference history to reach that stat line, along with five 3-pointers. The 6-foot-8 forward is considered a potential second-round pick, with his ability to shoot off the catch and on the move. He has a good feel for the game and displayed a good knack for finding open space on offense with his cutting and activity. Karaban has until April 26 to declare for the draft as an early entrant. Should he opt to test the predraft process, he can withdraw and return to school up until May 28. "I do want to do it relatively soon," Karaban said. "No exact timeline yet, but I do want to let the coaches and my teammates know which direction I want to go with relatively fast, and to let me just go in the direction that I want to go in."
