Alex is back!

[Marat]

Alex will have to beat out Stewart and McNeally, two very talented players, for minutes. I hope he made the right decision. Danny will play the best players.

Is that even a question about his decision being the right one?

 

[drayenob]

 

[Topdawg]

Alex wants to become one of the very few players in college basketball history with 3 title rings. Kareem. Walton, Laetner all had 2. No one has won 4.

You probably meant to say ”men’s college basketball history.” The UConn women‘s team in the Breanna Stewart era won four consecutive titles. So many on our women’s team have won 3 and 4 titles.

I wish for Alex to join that list!

 

[Bboy Lace]

Go back and read some of the comments of those who just knew he was staying in the draft. Some are funny

 

[gmc1055]

Don't lose sight Ross Hurley really likes him.

 

[Mister P]

Fanta’s article about the decision…

'Let's run it back': Alex Karaban announces return to UConn for junior season | Fox Sports

Alex Karaban announced he is withdrawing from the NBA Draft and will return to UConn for his junior season. FOX Sports' John Fanta explains why this provides a huge boost for Dan Hurley's squad and his quest for a three-peat.

amp.foxsports.com

 

[Dibbie]

Weirdly, I think I’m more sad than happy, as Alex probably didn’t hear what he wanted to from teams. He deserves an NBA career, hope he proves them wrong

 

[EricLA]

Add me to the list of people who are super psyched and happy about this. It seemed like the logical decision to come back. A lot of experience returning (even if only 1 of them was a starter last year). Really excited to see all the new (and returning) faces earn PT and get out there and show their stuff. This staff is amazing.

 

[Peacefrog]

Starters : Mahaney, Diarra , Mcneeley, Karaban, Reed

Bench Guards : Solo Ball, Nowell,
Bench forwards: Stewart, Abraham
Bench Big: Samson

Yeah minutes are tight but the team is friggin stacked. Sounds like "one of them good problems" to quote marlo stanfield

I think we'll see Ross before Abraham (but I have never seen Abraham play). He just looks like he knows what he's doing out there in the few minutes he got and wasn't afraid. I'm hoping he makes a decent sophomore jump and forces Hurley to have to use a 10 man rotation. Not likely but it would be fun.

 

[Bboy Lace]

Fanta’s article about the decision…

'Let's run it back': Alex Karaban announces return to UConn for junior season | Fox Sports

Alex Karaban announced he is withdrawing from the NBA Draft and will return to UConn for his junior season. FOX Sports' John Fanta explains why this provides a huge boost for Dan Hurley's squad and his quest for a three-peat.

amp.foxsports.com

Nice read. Thank you.

 

[AdamaNation]

Holy S!!!! AK is gonna have such a mental advantage after going through NBA draft process.

Players always come back better and more focused. And some are told Europe is the likely destination so they play with less pressure but still get that good solid career guidance outside the nest.

 

[LStudfellow]

What are we doing?

You already know the answer to this question @BigErnMcCracken....

'Yarders be Boneyardin'.... there are those on here who just can not help but let their inner idiot come on out into the sunlight from time to time, particularly at our times of greatest delight like this one.

Now mind you, the timing sure can be mystifying. But hey, this wouldn't be the Boneyard without them.

What is that ol' saying about stupidity? Ah, yes... the great Mark Twain once said: "It is better to keep your mouth shut and appear stupid than to open your mouth and remove all doubt."

Few sayings have ever been proven to be right more often than this one.

And one other thing: Alex deciding to come back absolutely makes us one of the favorites in 2024-2025. And he will get lots of playing time, as well as be a 1st or 2nd team Pre-Season All-American. There is nothing better in all of American sports at this time than to be a UConn basketball fan. Our cup runneth over like Niagara Falls...

Welcome back Alex!

 

[AdamaNation]

I have no idea how we get guys playing time this year. We are loaded at the 3/4. Someone probably should have transferred.

Perhaps a redshirt or 2?

 

[T-Squared]

Welcome home, Alex!

 

[AdamaNation]

Starters : Mahaney, Diarra , Mcneeley, Karaban, Reed

Bench Guards : Solo Ball, Nowell,
Bench forwards: Stewart, Abraham
Bench Big: Samson

Yeah minutes are tight but the team is friggin stacked. Sounds like "one of them good problems" to quote marlo stanfield

We can go from football type offense to hockey line changes.

 

[husky429]

Tourney Rotation:

Diarra 25 / Nowell 10 / Mahaney 5
Mahaney 25 / Ball 15
McNeeley 25 / Stew 10 / Ball 5
Karaban 30 / Stew 10
Reed 20 / Johnson 20

30: Mahaney / Karaban
25: Diarra / McNeeley
20: Ball / Stew / Reed / Johnson
10: Nowell

Bench: Ross / Abraham / Singare

I have a hard time imagining Nowell playing 10mpg.

 

[superjohn]

This will be the deepest UConn team ever and the battle for minutes will keep everyone sharp and hungry, great players practicing against each other every day makes everyone better. I see the starting 5 ending up as Mahaney, Ball, McNeeley, Karaban, Reed. Our bench would probably sneak into the top 25.

 

[Rondogg]

Never been SO happy to be SO WRONG!!!

 

[upstater]

I'm not sure why people are freaking out:

F Karaban 30
F Stewart 25
F McNeeley 25
G Mahaney 25
G Ball 25
G Diarra 15
G Nowell 15

The odd ones here are Ross and Abraham who deserve more play, but they may only see minutes for foul trouble and late game.

 

[upstater]

2006 team was pretty deep, the only one that was this deep

Jeff Adrien
Hilton Armstrong
Rudy Gay
Marcus Williams
Marcus Johnson
Josh Boone
Craig Austrie
Rashad Anderson
Ed Nelson
Denham Brown

10 deep. 5 future NBA players. 4 first round draft picks. 1 superstar.

 

[PAHusky]

I have a hard time imagining Nowell playing 10mpg.

Maybe, but who in that breakdown is he taking minutes from? Unless you're thinking he supplants Diarra as a starter or takes a few more of his minutes, not sure I see him as more deserving of minutes next year right now.

 

[jibsey]

I'm not sure why people are freaking out:

F Karaban 30
F Stewart 25
F McNeeley 25
G Mahaney 25
G Ball 25
G Diarra 15
G Nowell 15

The odd ones here are Ross and Abraham who deserve more play, but they may only see minutes for foul trouble and late game.

Diarra has to play more than 15.

 

[Huskyforlife]

This will be the deepest UConn team ever and the battle for minutes will keep everyone sharp and hungry, great players practicing against each other every day makes everyone better. I see the starting 5 ending up as Mahaney, Ball, McNeeley, Karaban, Reed. Our bench would probably sneak into the top 25.

I'm starting to think Mahaney is the point guard too. Alex referred to him as a point, he's the size of a traditional point, and we have so many talented wings to get minutes.

 

[Brochacho]

Diarra 20 / Nowell 20
Mahaney 25 / Diarra 5 / Ball 10
McNeeley 20 / Stewart 10 / Ball 10
Karaban 30 / Stewart 10
Reed 20 / Johnson 20

30: Karaban
25: Mahaney, Diarra
20: Nowell, Ball, McNeeley, Stewart, Reed, Johnson

It’s perfectly possible to play 9 guys a material role.

 

[Palatine]

Alex is Hurley's coach on the floor. He will be critical teaching the youngsters the system. We just accelerated their learning curve.