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After a historic four-year run at UConn, forward Alex Karaban is diligently working to establish himself as a first-round pick ahead of the 2026 NBA draft.
Karaban was a first-team All-Big East selection this past season, helping the Huskies to their third national championship game in four years. He averaged 13.2 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.4 assists while shooting 37.4% from 3-point range in 40 games.
The 23-year-old closed out his career with a 17-point, 11-rebound performance in the title game against Michigan on April 6, earning a place on the NCAA All-Tournament Team. It marked only his fourth career double-double in 151 appearances.
A two-time champion, Karaban left the Huskies as the all-time leader in wins (126), starts (150), minutes (4,906) and 3-pointers (292), while he is sixth in scoring (1,880). He became the first active player in program history to be inducted into the Huskies of Honor.
He is now on the verge of advancing to the NBA, following a decorated career.
The 6-foot-8 Karaban dazzled at the draft combine, going 18-for-25 in the 3-point star and 21-for-30 in the off-the-dribble shooting drills. He also registered a 28-inch standing vertical jump, an improvement of 5 1/2 inches from his previous measurement in 2024.
Karaban is considered a potential first-round pick on June 23 because of his offensive skill set, maturity and leadership qualities. He will have the opportunity to improve his stock in team workouts and interviews, which will begin next week.
Rookie Wire recently caught up with Karaban courtesy of GAT Sport to discuss his UConn career, playing for coach Dan Hurley, preparing for the predraft process and more.
Note: This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.
AK: GAT Sport is really a great partnership that allows me to improve my performance. They have these new creatine chews that you're able to travel with and really just make sure that I'm staying on top of my body. Creatine has been important to me as an athlete, just getting my weight up, making sure I can compete with grown men because out there, you want to be strong enough, fast enough and athletic enough to do so, and GAT Sport has done a good job of that.
AK: It is extremely important. The NBA is the best league in the world, and you have the best athletes in the world playing the sport we all love. You want your body to be on top of that. It is something I've got to do, and having these creatine chews makes it easy because I'm traveling non-stop, and GAT Sport provides that for me. It has been awesome. It is a great partnership, and I know that I need my body to be on top and in the best shape possible for the NBA.
AK: I think it helped me out a lot, just going through the experience, knowing what drills I'm going to do, the environment that I'm in, the interviews. Having a first glance look at it, I think it helped me out a lot. It allowed me to be more confident, and I just knew what to expect. It wasn't my first rodeo there.
AK: I think I improved athletically. I know my vertical increased six inches compared to the first time - improving more athletically was something I needed to do. I think everyone knows how great of a shooter I am, and I'm going to shoot great every single time, but I think just proving myself and becoming more athletic helped me out a lot.
AK: Just improving over time, taking more care of my body. Really just locking in more with the UConn strength coach, the UConn program. Coaches doing a great job of allowing me to get rest, as well. I think just really improving my body over time and nutrition. Nutrition has become such a big factor for me, too.
AK: I'm an experienced player in college, and I'm coming in with a level of self-aware maturity that knows what my role is going to be at the next level: I want to make the lives of superstars easier. I want to become an elite shooter to space the floor out for those guys to operate. Just be a hard-playing guy who crashes the glass, creates extra possessions, becomes a great defender and really just master my role. I have the winning pedigree, too. I know how hard it is to win. I know what it takes to win and, at the end of the day, every team is working to win championships. I think that's all that matters to me.
AK: It has got to be the national championships. Going back-to-back was incredible. It is such a hard accomplishment to do, and really just cement ourselves in history as one of those teams that did that. Then, having a difficult junior year, and we probably don't live up to the expectations, and then senior year, really just being the lone guy from the back-to-back teams being able to make it to another Final Four, make it to another national championship and really play in that. I think making it to three national championships out of four years has got to be the best accomplishment.
AK: He has changed my life completely. As a basketball player, he is going to make you better, but like what Liam said, he has made me into so much of a better man. Just someone who is more confident in himself, someone who is just socially better, too. He really just changed me completely. He is by my side. He is a mentor for me, and really, through all of the ups and downs that we went through these last four years, I think it has really just bonded us. He is someone I'm always going to look to if I need advice and really just want to talk to. I can't thank him enough for everything he has done for me.
Related Liam McNeeley credits UConn's Dan Hurley for growth as man and player
AK: It has been incredible to watch. Just seeing what he is doing in Year 2 and winning Rookie of the Year and making this big impact on the Spurs now, it has been awesome. He deserves it just for how humble he is, how much he sacrificed at UConn to win, and just the type of person he is. You root for people like that, and I know everyone is happy to see Steph succeed, but then also, he deserves it, too. I know he is going to get better and really be one of the faces of the league soon.
This article originally appeared on Rookie Wire: Interview: Alex Karaban on UConn, Dan Hurley, 2026 NBA draft & more
Continue reading...
Karaban was a first-team All-Big East selection this past season, helping the Huskies to their third national championship game in four years. He averaged 13.2 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.4 assists while shooting 37.4% from 3-point range in 40 games.
The 23-year-old closed out his career with a 17-point, 11-rebound performance in the title game against Michigan on April 6, earning a place on the NCAA All-Tournament Team. It marked only his fourth career double-double in 151 appearances.
A two-time champion, Karaban left the Huskies as the all-time leader in wins (126), starts (150), minutes (4,906) and 3-pointers (292), while he is sixth in scoring (1,880). He became the first active player in program history to be inducted into the Huskies of Honor.
He is now on the verge of advancing to the NBA, following a decorated career.
The 6-foot-8 Karaban dazzled at the draft combine, going 18-for-25 in the 3-point star and 21-for-30 in the off-the-dribble shooting drills. He also registered a 28-inch standing vertical jump, an improvement of 5 1/2 inches from his previous measurement in 2024.
Karaban is considered a potential first-round pick on June 23 because of his offensive skill set, maturity and leadership qualities. He will have the opportunity to improve his stock in team workouts and interviews, which will begin next week.
Rookie Wire recently caught up with Karaban courtesy of GAT Sport to discuss his UConn career, playing for coach Dan Hurley, preparing for the predraft process and more.
Note: This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.
You are partnering with GAT Sport. Tell me what you're doing with them.
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AK: GAT Sport is really a great partnership that allows me to improve my performance. They have these new creatine chews that you're able to travel with and really just make sure that I'm staying on top of my body. Creatine has been important to me as an athlete, just getting my weight up, making sure I can compete with grown men because out there, you want to be strong enough, fast enough and athletic enough to do so, and GAT Sport has done a good job of that.
As a high-level athlete, you're obviously in great shape after playing at UConn. How much more important is it now to partner with them as you go through the predraft process?
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AK: It is extremely important. The NBA is the best league in the world, and you have the best athletes in the world playing the sport we all love. You want your body to be on top of that. It is something I've got to do, and having these creatine chews makes it easy because I'm traveling non-stop, and GAT Sport provides that for me. It has been awesome. It is a great partnership, and I know that I need my body to be on top and in the best shape possible for the NBA.
You previously tested the predraft process and the draft combine. How much did that experience help prepare you as you go through it again this year?
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AK: I think it helped me out a lot, just going through the experience, knowing what drills I'm going to do, the environment that I'm in, the interviews. Having a first glance look at it, I think it helped me out a lot. It allowed me to be more confident, and I just knew what to expect. It wasn't my first rodeo there.
What were you most pleased with in your performance this year?
You must be registered for see images
AK: I think I improved athletically. I know my vertical increased six inches compared to the first time - improving more athletically was something I needed to do. I think everyone knows how great of a shooter I am, and I'm going to shoot great every single time, but I think just proving myself and becoming more athletic helped me out a lot.
What do you attribute your vertical increase to?
You must be registered for see images attach
AK: Just improving over time, taking more care of my body. Really just locking in more with the UConn strength coach, the UConn program. Coaches doing a great job of allowing me to get rest, as well. I think just really improving my body over time and nutrition. Nutrition has become such a big factor for me, too.
You're beginning your workouts and interviews soon. What are you trying to convey to teams during those visits?
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AK: I'm an experienced player in college, and I'm coming in with a level of self-aware maturity that knows what my role is going to be at the next level: I want to make the lives of superstars easier. I want to become an elite shooter to space the floor out for those guys to operate. Just be a hard-playing guy who crashes the glass, creates extra possessions, becomes a great defender and really just master my role. I have the winning pedigree, too. I know how hard it is to win. I know what it takes to win and, at the end of the day, every team is working to win championships. I think that's all that matters to me.
What are you most proud of when you look back on your career at UConn?
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AK: It has got to be the national championships. Going back-to-back was incredible. It is such a hard accomplishment to do, and really just cement ourselves in history as one of those teams that did that. Then, having a difficult junior year, and we probably don't live up to the expectations, and then senior year, really just being the lone guy from the back-to-back teams being able to make it to another Final Four, make it to another national championship and really play in that. I think making it to three national championships out of four years has got to be the best accomplishment.
Liam McNeeley recently told me that he credits Coach Hurley with helping him become a man during his time with the team. What will you remember most about playing for him?
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AK: He has changed my life completely. As a basketball player, he is going to make you better, but like what Liam said, he has made me into so much of a better man. Just someone who is more confident in himself, someone who is just socially better, too. He really just changed me completely. He is by my side. He is a mentor for me, and really, through all of the ups and downs that we went through these last four years, I think it has really just bonded us. He is someone I'm always going to look to if I need advice and really just want to talk to. I can't thank him enough for everything he has done for me.
Related Liam McNeeley credits UConn's Dan Hurley for growth as man and player
What has it been like watching your former teammate, Stephon Castle, play at such a high level in the playoffs?
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AK: It has been incredible to watch. Just seeing what he is doing in Year 2 and winning Rookie of the Year and making this big impact on the Spurs now, it has been awesome. He deserves it just for how humble he is, how much he sacrificed at UConn to win, and just the type of person he is. You root for people like that, and I know everyone is happy to see Steph succeed, but then also, he deserves it, too. I know he is going to get better and really be one of the faces of the league soon.
This article originally appeared on Rookie Wire: Interview: Alex Karaban on UConn, Dan Hurley, 2026 NBA draft & more
Continue reading...
