HARTFORD – Xavier coach Sean Miller had one last thought before leaving the press conference room following his team’s 94-89 overtime loss to UConn Wednesday night.
“I also wanna just make one comment here about this guy Alex Karaban,” Miller said.
The UConn captain and star forward had 20 points (8-for-15), five rebounds, three blocks and two assists.
“When I was playing a long time ago, Duke was in their prime. They had Danny (Hurley’s) brother, Bobby, Christian Laettner, Grant Hill and those guys. I think UConn, in its rightful place, is them right now, right? They just won back-to-back national championships. And when you think of Christian Laettner and guys like Bobby, I mean they’re like iconic because they’re all-time greatest winners in the sport, some of the greatest winners in the sport,” Miller said.
“I don’t know if college basketball has ever, to this point, had a better winner than Alex Karaban. Not because of his intangibles, his personality – he is a stud player.”
The only returning starter from both back-to-back national championship teams, UConn has a 74-14 record in games Karaban has played over the last three seasons. He started in every appearance since his debut, missing only three games to injury over his career.
“He was 8-for-15, 3-for-8 from 3, five rebounds, 20 points, 43 minutes, his passing, his motor,” Miller continued. “I know last year he wasn’t even on the All-Big East Team, which is hard to believe, but look, he’s a First Team All-American. And you look at UConn moving forward, I know there’s a lot of games to be played, but I just want to acknowledge something in our conference that is just true. There are very few players that have ever walked here, or in this great league, that have impacted their program as a freshman, then as a sophomore and as a junior (more) than Alex Karaban. He is a winner. And he reminds you of that every time you play UConn with just the myriad of great things that he does.”
Karaban decided to withdraw from the NBA Draft over the summer, where he could’ve been picked in the second round, and return to compete for a third-straight national title at UConn. No program or player has accomplished that feat since UCLA won seven straight from 1967-73. He also wanted to improve that draft status and earn some of the respect that has largely avoided him thus far.
Miller gave it to him unprompted Wednesday night.
“The main reason I did come back is to become the winningest player in college basketball history, but also help these guys like Tarris (Reed Jr.) and Liam (McNeeley) experience what it feels like to win, and for Solo (Ball) to go back-to-back and Hassan (Diarra) as well too, to go for a three-peat,” Karaban said, going down the line to his right, where the rest of UConn’s starters on Wednesday night joined him for postgame media. “We’ve still got a long way to go, but I’m glad we’re piecing it together now, just really building momentum heading into more Big East games.”
Hurley has consistently credited Karaban – the versatile, high-IQ forward now leading the Huskies in scoring – for much of UConn’s success since he arrived.
“Alex has changed the lives of so many people, so many players that have had the benefit of playing with him. He’s made them money, he’s made them look really good on the court because he’s just an incredible connective piece that solves so many problems and makes the people around him better. And he’s such an excellent offensive player, passer, defender, communicator, he’s a winner, he’s tough,” Hurley said. “And obviously the coaches, he’s changed all of our lives because he’s turned us all into champions. The program changed when AK entered the lineup. We’ve taken this thing to another level, and he’s the common denominator.”
