After a season marked by highs and lows, the UConn men’s basketball team’s 2024-2025 campaign ended last Sunday, with a loss in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. A significant part of this year’s squad, as well as the past two years, is Alex Karaban. In this week’s edition of Sargeant’s Orders, we will discuss why Karaban deserves a shot in the NBA and why he may end up taking it, although no official word has been given on his status.
According to numerous draft boards from basketball pundits, Karaban is expected to be an early to mid-second-round pick, which is a fair assessment based on his collegiate career. Looking at his raw statistics, the 22-year-old averaged over 12 points a night, five rebounds and three assists per contest. This came on over 30 minutes of work per night, with an efficient 47% shooting percentage and a slightly above-average three-point shooting percentage of 37.5%. While some may be quick to point out that Karaban had a down year across the board, he played nearly five minutes more per night this season and was relied upon as a primary scoring option, rather than in a complementary role, where he performs best.
While some may view Karaban’s ability to play in a complementary role as a negative trait, this is not the case, and it certainly does not shut the door on him playing professionally. Whether it be Harrison Barnes or Pau Gasol, non-first-option contributors who can score have proven track records at the NBA level. As much as scoring is valued in today’s NBA, Karaban does more than shoot the basketball.
Karaban’s best trait is, arguably, his IQ for the game. Even in his side’s recent loss to Florida, when he wasn’t scoring, he was still contributing, which not every NBA hopeful can say. He was grinding out tough offensive rebounds, disrupting passing lanes and, of course, successfully running the complicated UConn offense. All of this came against a highly talented and tall Gators squad, which looks to make its seventh Final Four in program history. Karaban also has a proven track record in pressure situations. Whether it be his crucial role in two national championships or many big-time regular season matchups, he has excelled at all parts of the game at one point or another, which should translate to the next level.
Some basketball pundits believe that Karaban may and should stay for another season. Before the age of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL), the odds of Karaban, among other college athletes, returning for another year and delaying their first NBA contract were lower than they are now. If Karaban decided to stay for his redshirt senior year, he would delay his first NBA contract by a year, but the opportunity cost of staying would not be as high, as he could potentially earn money through NIL. If he stayed, however, he could chase a third ring and make his legacy as a Husky even more lasting, despite already winning nearly everything there is to win in college basketball. Head coach Dan Hurley acknowledged that Karaban, along with other players in similar situations, face difficult decisions for the near future.
“It’s a tougher decision for these kids that are at the end of the first round into the second round on what do I do,” said Hurley at a press conference on Wednesday. “I think it’s more complex that way, but Alex is a smart kid.” “We are leaving him alone. We have had one conversation. I think the best thing that you can do when you have to make decisions is you talk to very few smart people.”
An attribute that goes beyond the stat sheet, often overlooked by those outside the UConn fanbase, is Karaban’s ability to win. There’s no way to sugarcoat it: Ever since arriving at college, Karaban has flat-out won. Even though he struggled at times, he was still a serviceable player and was called upon when needed most. Hurley emphasized this point and highlighted the “honor” that Karaban had in for coming back for the “three-peat.”
“Alex has accomplished everything you can in college, and more with what he’s been able to do,” said Hurley. “No one wins one national championship; he won two in a row, and then he came back with honor to try to get a third, and he fought and led and was awesome. It’s a life choice for him at this point.”
At this point last season, Karaban would have been drafted in a relatively similar spot to if he stayed in the draft. At this point in his career, it is difficult to see his draft stock move significantly, as NBA teams tend to avoid drafting older players earlier. However, there is little indication that his stock would fall given his successful career up to this point. Tristen Newton put together an All-America caliber campaign for the Huskies a season ago, following another excellent season the year before. He had one of the best college careers imaginable, yet he was selected late in the second round, which is likely due to his age.
Based on all of this, it is not unimaginable to see Karaban throw his hat in and chase his NBA dreams. If the forward decides to leave Storrs for the next level, NBA executives should seriously consider him early in the second round, as he could be the steal of the draft and a near-immediate contributor for a franchise that already has significant scoring power.
A.K. should not leave uconn