After a year to watch and learn, UConn forward Alex Karaban is ready to make his mark

Alex Karaban will never forget the feeling of helplessness he experienced when the UConn men’s basketball team was upset in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

The UConn redshirt freshman watched from the bench as the fifth-seeded Huskies lost 70-63 to No. 12 New Mexico State in Buffalo.

“I’m a competitive person, so I am always the type to want to get out there and help the team win,” Karaban said. “Throughout my career, I don’t want to be cocky, but I’m not used to sitting on the bench and just watching.”

The 6-foot-8 forward from Massachusetts heads into his first year of athletic eligibility ready to bring his competitive spirit out on the court. He thinks this year’s team will turn some heads.

“I think we will be really good,” he said. “I think we are getting the view of nobody putting us on the radar right now. We’re going to be very underrated. Just from the personalities on the team, we like that. A bunch of kids that like to prove a point on our team. Just being able to prove that we will win. I think we will have a really big year.”

A year of learning and building relationships

When UConn’s season ended in March, Karaban had zero regrets about enrolling early in January and coming to Storrs.

“It was just everything I had hoped for and kind of expected when I made the choice to come to UConn,” Karaban said. “It was all worth it.”

At practice sessions, one of the biggest lessons he learned was how physical and skilled college players are compared to high school players. The Huskies’ coaching staff expects a ton out of its players, which leads to intense training sessions filled with a lot of yelling.

“I’ve learned I can work so much harder now,” Karaban said. “The relationship with the coaches is so much better because of all the tough times we’ve been through.”

The grueling practices helped Karaban quickly bond with his teammates and coaches.

Sophomore guard Andre Jackson took Karaban under his wing, and they became very close. After the season, Karaban says he’ll never forget watching multiple NBA games in one day with Jackson. He admires Jackson’s intense focus while trying to learn from the games.

Corey Floyd Jr. was the only other redshirt freshman on the team, so naturally, he and Karaban became close.

By April, UConn had four players enter the NCAA transfer portal: Akok Akok, Jalen Gaffney, Rahsool Diggins and Floyd. The latter ended up at Big East rival Providence and will face Karaban at least twice next season.

“I was blindsided by that (Floyd transferring),” he said. “Every time people ask me, I still honestly don’t know why. I still care about him. I wish him the best of luck at Providence, but it was just hard. It was a hard week for me.”

UConn brought in three guards from the transfer portal to replenish the roster: Texas A&M’s Hassan Diarra, East Carolina’s Tristen Newton and Virginia Tech’s Nahiem Alleyne. Karaban is high on all of them. He thinks Newton will lead the offense and help score, Alleyne is a tough shooter and calls Diarra “a dawg” and the ultimate competitor.

As Karaban heads into next season, he fondly looks back on his redshirt season filled with internal growth. His favorite memory is UConn’s thrilling 71-69 win over Big East foe Villanova.

“We haven’t beat them in who knows how long (since 2014) and then we finally beat them,” Karaban said. “The court storming and the locker room was crazy. The R.J. Cole game-winner and the comeback. Coach Dan Hurley leaving the game. It was a wild night of emotions, but it was a lot of fun.”

Trying to earn his spot

The UConn coaching staff has told Karaban he will have to earn whatever minutes he plays next season.

Karaban won’t come out and explicitly say it, but he’s determined to make the starting lineup.

Since the season ended, he’s been on a strict training regimen that starts at 6 a.m with shooting sessions that last for two hours. He then lifts weights for an hour and works out on the basketball court with a trainer for a couple of hours.

Unlike many other basketball players, he finishes his days with yoga. Karaban swears by yoga’s ability to help improve his focus and increase overall flexibility.

He’s also been on a strict diet since stepping foot on campus. He started at 230 pounds and is now a leaner, more muscular 215 pounds. For breakfast, he eats an egg sandwich, snacks on berries throughout the day, then eats pasta with a protein at 4 p.m. He finishes his day with a bowl of fruit at 8 p.m.

A couple of times during the summer, Karaban has worked out with fellow Massachusetts native and former UConn star Shabazz Napier. He credits Napier with helping him keep focused and helping him with skills he will need for next season.

On the court, Karaban is a versatile forward who can play multiple positions and can shoot from anywhere on the court.

“I feel my shooting will help space out the floor for Adama Sanogo, Jackson and Jordan Hawkins. ... Being able to post as a shooter threat will really get the offense going as well,” he said. “I can push the pace by getting the rebound, pushing it myself or outletting it and playing faster as a team.”

Assistant head coach Tom Moore feels Karaban will add quite a bit to next season’s team.

“We’re hopeful he will add some great shooting,” Moore said. “He’s got a toughness. He’s a very good offensive player. He can pass and cuts very well. He has a good sense of timing on the offensive glass as well. We are excited about the position versatility he brings.”

While Karaban hopes to play big minutes, Moore feels that there won’t be much pressure for Karaban to be a first-year contributor with all the talent on the roster.

Regardless, he knows the way to see playing time under Hurley has always been to play stellar defense. So it’s been a point of emphasis for Karaban to make sure he’s giving it his all.

“I feel like the ability always to go 100% is a hurdle I need to get over,” he said. “In high school, I mean everyone has, especially me; I took a bunch of plays off. So just going 100% and making sure my defense is always on point.”

Personalities that vibe

Karaban has two different personalities on and off the court. He describes himself as a shy, goofy, and weird kid off the court.

He swears by country artists Luke Combs and Florida Georgia Line as his go-to music. Karaban’s made it his mission to get his teammates into country music.

“I am the only one when we shoot around the practice facility; I play my country music,” he said. “I am trying to put everybody on it.”

On the court, he’s locked in, doesn’t talk much and “is trying to be a killer.”

Both his personalities have meshed well with his teammates. Karaban talks to incoming UConn freshman Donovan Clingan quite a bit as they will room together. Fellow freshman Samson Johnson and Hawkins are also close with Karaban. The group chats with the entire team have been quiet but have picked up now that players are back on campus

With the influx of talent in and out of UConn, Karaban feels the team that remains is ready for anything.

“We will be ready,” he said. “I know we had a lot of stuff happen in April and we have been questioned a lot. We will be ready. We will be a lot better than last year. We’ll definitely win some championships this year. I promise you that.”