Tag: Alex Karaban

Alex Karaban to return to UConn for junior year after testing NBA draft

Alex Karaban announced Wednesday that he will withdraw from the 2024 NBA draft and return to UConn for his junior year.

Alex Karaban announced Wednesday on X, formerly known as Twitter, that he will withdraw from the 2024 NBA draft and return to UConn for his junior year.

Karaban declared for the draft on April 18 while maintaining his remaining college eligibility. He averaged eight points, two rebounds and one assist in two scrimmage games at the draft combine this month in Chicago, Illinois. He also worked out with the Portland Trail Blazers.

The 21-year-old helped the Huskies to their second straight championship after averaging 13.3 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.5 assists on 37.9% shooting from 3-point range. He produced eight 20-point games, including a season-high 26 points and seven rebounds on Dec. 9.

Karaban was considered a borderline first-round pick this year, given his ability as a shooter and cutter on offense. He has also shown promise on the defensive side of the ball with the Huskies and is a smart player with a great feel for the game.

His return to the program is a big addition for Dan Hurley after the team lost Donovan Clingan, Stephon Castle, Tristen Newton and Cam Spencer to the NBA draft. He was their third-leading scorer last season and has started 77 out of 78 games in two years.

Hurley and the Huskies signed top-50 prospects Liam McNeeley (No. 10) and Ahmad Nowell (No. 31) to the roster next season. They also add Aidan Mahaney (Saint Mary’s) and Tarris Reed Jr. (Michigan) via the transfer portal.

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Alex Karaban: NBA Draft scouting report and intel

2002 | 6’6.5 | 6’11 | 219 LBS Team: Connecticut Agency: Priority Sports Best aggregate mock draft rank : 28 / Worst rank: NR 2023-24 stats: In 2023-24, Karaban averaged 13.3 points, 5.1 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 0.8 blocks, and 0.9 steals per game. He …

2002 | 6’6.5 | 6’11 | 219 LBS

Team: Connecticut

Agency: Priority Sports

Best aggregate mock draft rank: 28 / Worst rank: NR

2023-24 stats:

In 2023-24, Karaban averaged 13.3 points, 5.1 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 0.8 blocks, and 0.9 steals per game. He shot 49.5 percent from the field, 37.9 percent from three, and 88.5 percent from the foul line.

UConn star Alex Karaban foregoes NBA draft, returns for Huskies

Alex Karaban will withdraw his name from the 2024 NBA draft and return to the UConn Huskies as they try to win a third straight national championship.

The UConn Huskies’ quest for a third straight national championship got a big boost on Wednesday when forward Alex Karaban announced he is withdrawing from the NBA draft and will return to Storrs for his junior season.

“While I’ve enjoyed the draft process, Storrs is home. Let’s run it back,” Karaban posted on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday afternoon.

Karaban started for the Huskies in each of the past two seasons, playing a critical role as a shooter for both of UConn’s national championship runs.

As a sophomore in 2023-24, the 6’9 wing averaged 13.3 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.5 assists while shooting 64% on two pointers and 37.9% from three on 5.5 attempts per game.

Karaban becomes the lone returning starter from UConn’s title team – with Cam Spencer and Tristen Newton out of eligibility and Stephon Castle and Donovan Clingan, both projected lottery picks, opting to stay in the draft process.

However, Karaban will be joined by a bevy of returning rotation players, including Samson Johnson, Hassan Diarra, Solomon Ball, and Jaylin Stewart – and the team added key additions via the transfer portal in Aidan Mahaney (Saint Mary’s) and Tarris Reed (Michigan).

Danny Hurley’s team – who also added top ranked incoming freshman Liam NcNeeley – was in solid shape before Karaban’s announced return. Now, having his experience back in the mix should vault this team into top 10 consideration as they look to do what has not been done since the 1970’s at UCLA…win back-to-back-to-back national championships.

2024 NBA Draft Combine: Winners and losers

The 2024 NBA Draft Combine has concluded, and as the dust settles in Chicago, we review the most significant winners and losers from this year’s pre-draft event. Despite being considered one of the weakest drafts in recent memory, the combine still …

The 2024 NBA Draft Combine has concluded, and as the dust settles in Chicago, we review the most significant winners and losers from this year’s pre-draft event. Despite being considered one of the weakest drafts in recent memory, the combine still plays a crucial role. It helps fringe lottery picks, determines if a player is a late first-rounder or early second-rounder, and boosts the chances of players who might have gone undrafted. With the draft just over a month away, here’s a breakdown of the standout moments and performances from this year’s combine.

UConn sophomore Alex Karaban to declare for NBA draft, retain eligibility

Karaban helped the Huskies to their second straight title, averaging 13.3 points and 5.1 rebounds on 37.9% shooting from 3-point range.

UConn sophomore Alex Karaban announced Thursday on social media that he will declare for the 2024 NBA draft while retaining his remaining college eligibility.

Karaban helped the Huskies to their second straight championship after averaging 13.3 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.5 assists on 37.9% shooting from 3-point range. He produced eight 20-point games, including a season-high 26 points and seven rebounds on Dec. 9.

The 21-year-old joins teammate Donovan Clingan in declaring for the draft this year, while Stephon Castle, Tristen Newton and Cam Spencer are also expected to enter. Clingan and Castle are projected to be lottery picks.

Karaban isn’t projected to be drafted, though he will have the opportunity to improve his stock in team interviews and workouts. He could also be invited to compete in the G League Elite Camp or draft combine next month in Chicago, Illinois.

He has until May 29 to withdraw from the draft and return to school.

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Notre Dame presents offer to forward recruit Alex Karaban

The Irish are after a forward that’s on a bunch of schools’ radars.

Notre Dame is going after a player who has every intention of taking advantage of as many opportunities as possible. For the past two years, forward recruit Alex Karaban has played prep basketball in New Hampton, New Hampshire. As a senior, he will attend the renowned IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. That commitment to excellence was too good for the Irish to ignore, so they decided to become the latest program to make him an offer:

It’s hard to know for certain which direction Karaban is leaning towards. 247Sports believes Penn State and Northwestern, two schools he made official visits to in June, are the top contenders. Rivals forecasts him heading to Indiana. Of course, he also could choose one of the many other schools that have offered him, including Purdue, Boston College, Virginia Tech, Iowa, UConn, Georgetown, DePaul, Marquette, Stanford, LSU, Iowa State, Oklahoma State, Creighton and even Harvard.