Latest news with #Karaban
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.
USA Today
29-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Alex Karaban returning to UConn basketball, withdraws from NBA draft: 'Last Dance'
Alex Karaban returning to UConn basketball, withdraws from NBA draft: 'Last Dance' Show Caption Hide Caption Dan Hurley explains how his UConn players have changed his life An emotional Dan Hurley speaks to the media after UConn's second round loss to No. 1 Florida. Sports Seriously Two national championship rings appear not to be enough for UConn basketball forward Alex Karaban. The Huskies' captain announced on Tuesday that he is returning for one final season to finish some "unfinished business." By returning to Storrs, Connecticut, to play for Dan Hurley one more season, Karaban has withdrawn his name from the upcoming NBA draft, for which he initially declared. "I pride myself on accepting challenges and holding myself to the highest standard. Last year, we didn't achieve what we set out to, and I am not running from the chance to make that right! 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," Karaban wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday. "Let's run it back one last time! #LastDance." REQUIRED READING: Shaquille O'Neal to become Sacramento State men's basketball general manager, per report This is the second time in his career that Karaban has withdrawn his name from the NBA draft. He returned to the Huskies last season after attending the NBA combine in Chicago last May. As noted by ESPN's Jonathan Givony, Karaban was projected as the No. 35 prospect in ESPN's NBA draft rankings. Karaban has been a staple of UConn's starting lineup the last three seasons, as he has started all but one of his 111 collegiate games. The Southborough, Massachusetts native saw an uptick in his scoring this past season, as he became a prominent go-to scorer, especially when star freshman Liam McNeely was sidelined for a bit of the year. Here's how UConn athletics' official X account responded to Karaban's announcement: REQUIRED READING: Cal transfer Andrej Stojakovic, son of former NBA all-star Peja, commits to Illinois An All-Big East Second Team selection in 2024-25, Karaban played a team-high 35.9 minutes per game while averaging 14.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.8 assists per contest. The addition of Karaban to the Huskies' 2025-26 roster is a big get for Hurley, who has also brought in Georgia guard Silas Demary Jr. and Dayton guard Malachi Smith through the transfer portal. UConn fell short of becoming the first team since UCLA to win three consecutive NCAA Tournaments this past season, as the Huskies were knocked out in the second round of March Madness by eventual national champion Florida. The Huskies, who finished 24-11 overall last season, have two marquee nonconference games against Arizona and Texas already on their schedule for this upcoming year. UConn also announced on Tuesday that former Villanova assistant Mike Nardi has joined Hurley's staff in the same role. The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.
New York Times
29-04-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
UConn star forward Alex Karaban returning to Huskies for senior season
UConn forward Alex Karaban — the lone remaining starter from the Huskies' back-to-back national championship teams in 2023 and 2024 — is returning to school for his senior season, he announced Tuesday. 'I pride myself on accepting challenges and holding myself to the highest standard,' Karaban said in a statement. 'Last year, we didn't achieve what we set out to, and I am not running from a chance to make that right!' — Alex Karaban (@AlexKaraban) April 29, 2025 The 6-foot-8, 210 pounder was UConn's third-leading scorer last season, posting career-high averages in points (14.3), rebounds (5.3), assists (2.8), and blocks (1.5) per game. Karaban's return finalizes UConn's offseason roster makeover, likely giving Dan Hurley a top-5 preseason ranked squad. In addition to the Massachusetts native, Hurley also returns starting guard Solo Ball and center Tarris Reed Jr., who should be the Huskies' top interior option. Advertisement In the transfer portal, UConn solidified its backcourt by adding former Georgia guard Silas Demary Jr. — who will also go through the NBA Draft process, according to the league's early entrant list released Tuesday — and former Dayton guard Malachi Smith. Hurley also signed five-star shooting guard Braylon Mullins and four-star center Eric Reibe from high school. But for all the pieces at Hurley's disposal, none are as crucial as Karaban, and for multiple reasons. The first is obvious: As the lone holdover from the Huskies' consecutive title teams, Karaban will be integral in setting the culture in Storrs. Karaban was critical of his own ability to do that last season — especially after the Huskies' 0-3 performance in the Maui Invitational in November. Secondly, strictly from a basketball standpoint, Karaban's floor-stretching will be critical between UConn's reworked backcourt and frontline. Five-star freshman wing Liam McNeeley fortified the team's perimeter this season, but with McNeeley gone to the NBA Draft, more of that onus will fall on Karaban. Karaban started all 33 games he played last season, and his 35.9 minutes per game were most on the team. The question now is whether or not Karaban still has another level he can reach. On UConn's title teams, he was a key cog, but hardly the most important piece. Last season, occupying more of a featured role, Karaban's efficiency lagged as he posted the worst offensive rating of his career, per KenPom, and finished with the lowest 3-point percentage (34.7 percent) of his three college seasons. He did grow as a playmaker, nearly doubling his assist rate, but his streaky shooting cost UConn in several instances last season, including when he went 2-for-9 from deep in the team's season-ending NCAA Tournament loss to eventual champion Florida in the round of 32. Advertisement The good news is that with UConn's roster overhaul mostly complete, Karaban won't have to be near the singular force he was asked to be a season ago. Instead, he can once again serve as connective tissue on the perimeter next to the likes of Ball and Demary, giving Hurley at least three true 3-point threats. Additionally, Karaban's connection with Reed should continue to pay dividends; per CBB Analytics, Karaban was the second-leading assister to Reed last season behind graduated point guard Hassan Diarra. Karaban's return is the best possible news UConn could have asked for. After a down season by Hurley's standards, the Huskies should once again be considered legitimate national title contenders.
Fox Sports
29-04-2025
- Sport
- Fox Sports
UConn's Alex Karaban set to return for senior year: 'My heart remains in Storrs'
Two-time national champion Alex Karaban wants one more shot at reaching the mountaintop in Storrs. The UConn star announced Tuesday morning that he is running it back for his senior season, a rare situation in modern-day college basketball for a player to stay at his school for all four years of his career. Connecticut head coach Dan Hurley has always said Karaban is the perfect fit for his program, so if there was a guy to make this move, the 6-foot-8 Massachusetts native is the poster boy for it. Averaging 14.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game this past year, Karaban earned second-team All-Big East honors. This return is a sign of the benefits of NIL, with Karaban being able to earn seven figures during his senior year of college, as opposed to going the pro route where he would likely be in the G League next season. This is massive news for UConn, which will be a top-10 team in my FOX Sports Preseason Top 25 rankings. The Huskies return Solo Ball, Tarris Reed and Jaylen Stewart, while also ushering in the nation's ninth-ranked recruiting class, headlined by Georgia transfer Silas Demary and five-star guard Braylon Mullins. Karaban will look to capitalize on some unfinished business after the Huskies fell in the first weekend of this past year's NCAA Tournament and were knocked out in the Big East Tournament semifinals. "I pride myself on accepting challenges and holding myself to the highest standard," Karaban said in a social media post. "Last year, we didn't achieve what we set out to, and I am not running from a chance to make that right. 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." Hurley also announced the addition of former Villanova interim head coach and assistant Mike Nardi to his staff. Nardi, who was a four-year starter at Villanova from 2003-07, spent the last decade on the Main Line and was a part of Jay Wright's dynasty with national championships in 2016 and 2018. After Kevin Willard did not retain Nardi, who served as interim after Kyle Neptune was fired and led Villanova to the College Basketball Crown semifinals, Nardi was looking for a new spot. The timing worked perfectly with UConn legend Tom Moore moving to the general manager chair in Storrs, opening the door for Hurley to hire a top-tier assistant who adds to Connecticut's championship pedigree. The bricks are being laid in Storrs for a reload in 2025-26 and UConn looks more than poised to go at St. John's for the top spot in the Big East. Expect that rivalry to only keep intensifying next season. John Fanta is a national college basketball broadcaster and writer for FOX Sports. He covers the sport in a variety of capacities, from calling games on FS1 to serving as lead host on the BIG EAST Digital Network to providing commentary on The Field of 68 Media Network. Follow him at @John_Fanta . Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily ! FOLLOW Follow your favorites to personalize your FOX Sports experience College Basketball UConn Huskies Alex Karaban recommended Get more from College Basketball Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more in this topic
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
