Earlier this week, the two-time national champion announced he will return to Storrs for a fourth season. Here’s how his decision impacts the team.
STORRS, Conn. — When it comes to building a successful college basketball program, sometimes retaining talent can be more effective than reloading with new players.
Head coach Dan Hurley and the UConn men’s basketball team incorporated that strategy this offseason by bringing back key contributors such as Soloman Ball, Tarris Reed Jr. and Jaylin Stewart.
UConn continued along that path this week when the team’s captain announced he will return to Storrs for his fourth and final season.
Alex Karaban, the 6-foot-8 forward from Southborough, Mass., made it official Tuesday that he will play his redshirt senior season for the Huskies. As a two-time national champion, Karaban is one of the most decorated and experienced players in all of college basketball.
In 2024-2025, the UConn captain scored 14.3 points per game while grabbing 5.3 rebounds on a nightly basis. Karaban’s numbers were good enough to earn him a spot on the All-Big East Second Team.
That said, Karaban failed to meet the lofty expectations that many people placed on him entering last season. As the lone returning starter from the back-to-back national championship teams, numerous experts picked Karaban to be a preseason All-American.
As the fourth or fifth best scoring option on high level teams as a freshman and sophomore, Karaban excelled.
Last season, when he became the focal point of the Huskies’ offense, Karaban struggled to find consistency, as he was often guarded by the opponent’s best defenders.
Fortunately, Hurley didn’t only retain players this offseason. He’s also been hard at work recruiting top tier talent and signing valuable transfers.
With the addition of Georgia transfer Silas Demary Jr., who scored 13.5 points per game in the historic SEC last season, and the recruitment of multiple freshmen who are McDonald’s All-Americans, UConn should have a much deeper roster in 2025-2026.
Add that to the return of Ball, another All-Big East Second Team performer, and Reed, who played at a high level down the stretch, and Karaban won’t be relied on as the Huskies’ primary option.
This should allow Karaban to return to the role he thrived in during his first two seasons, one that made him an NBA Draft prospect.
Players like Demary and Ball should draw the other team’s most effective defenders in 2025-2026, leaving less capable players to guard Karaban, who could feast from deep in this position.
In 2024-2025, Karaban shot a career-low 34.7% from behind the three-point arc while facing significant defensive pressure on nightly basis.
As a freshman, he shot 40.2% from distance, and as a sophomore, he made 37.9% of his threes. He put up those shooting numbers while surrounded and protected by elite talent that should resemble next year’s roster much more than last season’s.
Already, reputable college basketball pundits are calling Karaban the best role player in the sport, but only time will tell if he can shake off his shooting woes and reestablish himself as one of the best contributors in college basketball.
Regardless, Karaban is likely to continue to serve as the team’s captain, as he leads both on and off the court. His veteran presence will be important for freshmen such as Braylon Mullins, Eric Reibe and Jacob Furphy.
UConn basketball fans should be ecstatic that Karaban made UConn part of his plans for one more year. His No. 11 will eventually hang in the Huskies of Honor.
Dalton Zbierski is a digital content producer and writer at FOX61 News. He can be reached at dzbierski@FOX61.com.
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