The checklist of all-time nice school basketball gamers which have made their mark on the UConn males’s program feels limitless.
Ray Allen. Ben Gordon. Richard Hamilton. Donyell Marshall. Emeka Okafor. Caron Butler. Kemba Walker. Shabazz Napier. Donovan Clingan.
They remodeled the Huskies right into a nationwide powerhouse that competes with the bluebloods yr in and yr out. It’s a pantheon reserved for the few, and one Alex Karaban managed to open the door to, stroll proper in and introduce himself.
The stats for Karaban, a 6-foot-8 redshirt senior ahead with two national championships already underneath his belt, may not evaluate to these legends. However in the case of a very powerful statistic a participant can have, he outdid Allen, Okafor, Walker and every other UConn star that got here earlier than him.
Successful is what cements Karaban among the many UConn greats and with a 79-75 win for the Huskies final month at Georgetown, Karaban grew to become this system’s all-time winningest participant.
“It’s loopy,” stated Karaban, who’s now on win No. 119 and counting. “I don’t assume I’ve mirrored on it as a lot as I in all probability ought to have. I feel when my profession is over at UConn, I feel I’ll have the ability to mirror on it extra and simply notice how particular that’s to be in a class like them. However I feel proper now, I simply wish to add extra to my resume and add extra to my profession to actually solidify my spot in that class.”
The historical past of the storied UConn program and the corporate Karaban finds himself in is just not misplaced on the 23-year-old.
Karaban grew up in Southboro, Mass., simply an hour away from the Storrs, Conn., campus. He remembers watching Jim Calhoun preside over this system and the Huskies embarking on deep match runs that ended with them hoisting the coveted {hardware} skyward.
The status of this system lured Karaban to UConn, and stored him there, too.
After profitable back-to-back nationwide titles throughout his first two seasons on the courtroom, he entered his identify into the NBA draft. He went to the NBA mix and had a very good likelihood to be drafted and have the identical destiny as 4 of his teammates in the 2024 draft.
However in late Might, he withdrew his identify from the draft. He went by means of the same course of final spring, but once more withdrawing his identify from consideration, feeling like he nonetheless had extra left to do at UConn.
“Simply chase historical past, proceed to win nationwide championships, desirous to win extra and actually simply attempt to play underneath Coach (Dan) Hurley for so long as potential,” Karaban stated. “Realizing how nice of a possibility I had and actually simply wanting to maximise my total profession at UConn. And actually simply do one thing that you just don’t actually see in school basketball anymore, which is keep at a program for 4 years with out transferring and actually cement your self in a program.”
It’s solely pure for Karaban to consider the choice after selecting UConn over the NBA. He tries to not gaze into the crystal ball too usually, although, and take into consideration what might have been.
“I feel there’s moments the place it’s like, ‘What if I did keep within the NBA draft and the way totally different my life can be,’” Karaban stated. “Who is aware of what would have occurred. I attempt to avoid that. However right here and there, I feel you might at all times play the what-if sport.”
Staying at UConn allowed Karaban to maintain etching his identify within the file books.
In the identical sport towards Georgetown, Karaban made his 136th profession begin, a program file. It had been over three years since Karaban made his first begin in a Huskies uniform, one which took him unexpectedly.
However Hurley trusted the redshirt freshman sufficient to place him with the beginning unit within the second sport of the 2022-23 season towards Boston College. Karaban totaled 10 factors, 4 rebounds and 4 assists and the top outcome was the identical for UConn just like the numerous different occasions Karaban took the ground: the Huskies got here out on high.
“I used to be nervous. I feel the one factor that helped me was it was my birthday,” stated Karaban concerning the begin towards BU. “I had such a excessive adrenaline rush and actually was simply so excited to be on the market. Simply the joy that you just get while you hear your identify introduced, simply every little thing surrounding it, particularly on the school degree, was tremendous thrilling for me. I used to be shocked that I began as a freshman, however I additionally noticed it as a possibility to maintain my beginning spot.”
Karaban definitely didn’t relinquish that beginning spot as soon as he earned it. He began 77 of the subsequent 78 video games over his first two seasons.
Beginning video games is previous hat for him now, and people nerves he felt towards BU don’t seem anymore. Karaban, who’s averaging 13.3 factors whereas capturing 41.5% from 3-point vary to go together with 5.2 rebounds this season, is simply attempting to profit from his time left at UConn.
He certain did that Saturday in his last sport at Gampel Pavilion. Karaban, who grew to become the primary lively participant enshrined within the Huskies of Honor previous to the sport, marked the event by tying his season excessive with 23 factors in a 71-67 win over Seton Corridor.
“I simply wish to savor each second and simply actually take pleasure in each second that I’ve, figuring out that it’s my final yr and I (solely) have so many extra video games with this UConn crowd,” Karaban stated. “Simply actually attempting to embrace each second, take pleasure in it and simply attempt to placed on my greatest effort each single evening.”
There’s little question Karaban left his mark on UConn, just like the greats that got here earlier than him. He lived as much as the usual, was a torchbearer for the custom and handed it on to the subsequent spherical of Huskies stars.
He’ll go away this system with two rings and presumably a 3rd nationwide title coming this spring. And he has all these wins that grew to become synonymous together with his play.
And there’s actually no higher approach to be remembered than for that.
“On the finish of the day, everybody, while you play basketball or a sport at any degree, you wish to win, and to have my identify related to profitable, I feel there’s no higher honor than that,” Karaban stated. “One thing I’m happy with, one thing I’ll without end be happy with and one thing that nobody can take away.”
