Alex Karaban is BACK

[husky429]

What makes Mullins HS lower level?

Indiana has 4 levels of basketball; 1A, 2A, 3A, 4A. He played on a 4A HS team who was ranked in the top 5 in the state all season. He is the #1 scorer in 24-25 and also just named Indiana Mr. Basketball? So please enlighten us on "lower level"???

Weird thing to take offense over. With so few posts it makes me wonder if you have some connection to him.

Braylon played in a public school league and a 2nd-tier AAU circuit. The talent level wasn't nearly was Reibe or Adams saw this winter. Not even close. Pointing out his accolades doesn't change that. He has never defended someone as talented as our entire starting 5 in a game.

He's a seriously talented player. It would be silly to ignore that the step up in how he'll need to defend is going to be tremendous. It's the same thing scouts will say about Toure if he comes here.

 

[Dove]

Spend time with our spouses.

 

[Icehawk]

OHHHHHHHHHHHHH, YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!

Drink up boys & girls it's Kool-Aid time!

 

[temery]

Redshirt junior forward Alex Karaban announced on Tuesday that he will return to UConn for the 2025-2026 season. He is graduating at the end of this school year, but will stay for his last year of eligibility and pursue a graduate degree.

Junior F Alex Karaban To Return to UConn for 2025-2026 Season

The rising redshirt senior spurned the NBA Draft once more.

storrscentral.com

 

[GHSWolverines]

Alex's B+ to A game is NBA worthy. He really struggle with his shot quite a bit last season. If he simply improves his consistency with his outside shot and incrementally improves in all other areas of his game, he should be able to improve his draft position.

He showed a lot capability at times to have slipped into the end of the first found, but simply had some brutal stretches and a decline in the latter part of his season the sealed his fate. I'm hopeful that he'll play himself back into the first round or at least top of the 2nd, playing up to what he's capable of.

Bc he is not a volume shooter. Next year the focus cannot be just on him.

 

[bigknight3]

Have you seen Reed and Reibe play defense? The 3rd string center is getting more than 40 minutes.

Closer to 40 minutes than 400 minutes if everyone stays healthy? Yes. But at some points in the season some of those minutes will be important (and we will all breathe deeply when those moments end).

Have you seen Reed as a senior or Reibe as a freshman after off season strength and conditioning... No.

So you don't know what you're talking about any more than the rest of us.

 

[DogMania]

Bc he is not a volume shooter. Next year the focus cannot be just on him.

The construction of 25/26 team is much more balanced where AK's shot selection should be better. With that said, he really struggled knocking down open and lightly contested 3s in quite a few games such as in the E-8 loss. If he and/or Solo had a B- shooting game, they would have advanced to the S-16 and who knows how far they would have advanced.

I'm hopeful for a bounce back year for him.

 

[Devland]

If he gets a third ring, I would think that would tie a bunch of UCLA players for the most. During UCLA's run freshman couldn't play.

 

[Dove]

CONFIRMED!!!

 

[Purple Stein]

!

 

[Rondogg]

This should put us top 5 preseason regardless of who else we bring in. LET’S GO!

Are we starting the season in Hawaii?

 

[NHUConnfan]

I'm hoping we get a jacked Alex next year.

Alex made a comment on one of Jared's podcast that he thought he could hit the weights a bit harder.

The most important thing is to make sure that AK is healthy. I don't think he was 100% at any point this season. Really excited for this upcoming season.

 

[shizzle787]

Wow, so what else does the team still need?

A stud 3 and a backup center.

 

[Mike Honcho]

Weird thing to take offense over. With so few posts it makes me wonder if you have some connection to him.

Braylon played in a public school league and a 2nd-tier AAU circuit. The talent level wasn't nearly was Reibe or Adams saw this winter. Not even close. Pointing out his accolades doesn't change that. He has never defended someone as talented as our entire starting 5 in a game.

He's a seriously talented player. It would be silly to ignore that the step up in how he'll need to defend is going to be tremendous. It's the same thing scouts will say about Toure if he comes here.

Not for nothing, but this was the exact criticism around Clingan's high school competition and uh, he put that to bed pretty quickly.

 

[Dove]

Paging @bendm for a detailed lineup projection for next season.

 

[husky429]

Not for nothing, but this was the exact criticism around Clingan's high school competition and uh, he put that to bed pretty quickly.

I don't really understand why the poster took offense. I think Mullins could be a 1 and done talent if he develops like this staff can get guys to develop. I made that mistake once with Clingan--I' not doing it again. Mullins is a RIDICULOUS shooter.

But acting like he's played elite high school competition is just denying reality.

 

[Leebo]

I'm pleasantly surprised. After the deadline came and went with no word, I had a hard time imagining he was waiting just to say he's coming back, but I guess it really was in flux even at that point.

 

[jibsey]

I don't really understand why the poster took offense. I think Mullins could be a 1 and done talent if he develops like this staff can get guys to develop. I made that mistake once with Clingan--I' not doing it again. Mullins is a RIDICULOUS shooter.

But acting like he's played elite high school competition is just denying reality.

This is hard to figure out or predict now but we’ll know a lot more by December for Mullins when he plays serious competition non conference.

 

[giddyup]

Hope he tears it up next season.

 

[Kl.0606]

Weird thing to take offense over. With so few posts it makes me wonder if you have some connection to him.

Braylon played in a public school league and a 2nd-tier AAU circuit. The talent level wasn't nearly was Reibe or Adams saw this winter. Not even close. Pointing out his accolades doesn't change that. He has never defended someone as talented as our entire starting 5 in a game.

He's a seriously talented player. It would be silly to ignore that the step up in how he'll need to defend is going to be tremendous. It's the same thing scouts will say about Toure if he comes here.

Yeah I haven’t posted much…no connection other than have family from Indiana so know what the comp of 4A high school basketball is. Didn’t take offense at all just wondered what made you think his HS comp was lower level. I’m not sure 3SSB circuit is 2nd tier either they had Darryn Peterson Nate Ament Mikel Brown Koa Peat Elijah Arenas. Pretty sure if you were on that circuit or EYBL last year it’s pretty top tier competition.

 

[tzznandrew]

Lack of point guard play and Liam's injury hurt AK the most. He simply isn't a #1 and trying to throw him into that role hurt AK and the team performance. With Solo, Silas, Tarris...AK can go back to his role of being a great connector, cutting to the rim, hitting open threes, doing all the little things.

He was also hurt all year, in various ways, but not the type of player to call attention to that.

 

[Samoo]

I'm hoping we get a jacked Alex next year.

Alex made a comment on one of Jared's podcast that he thought he could hit the weights a bit harder.

Agreed 100%. He always looked a bit thin/untoned. Doesn't need to get huge but a more powerful Karaban is a good thing.

 

[pj]

Weird thing to take offense over. With so few posts it makes me wonder if you have some connection to him.

Braylon played in a public school league and a 2nd-tier AAU circuit. The talent level wasn't nearly was Reibe or Adams saw this winter. Not even close. Pointing out his accolades doesn't change that. He has never defended someone as talented as our entire starting 5 in a game.

He's a seriously talented player. It would be silly to ignore that the step up in how he'll need to defend is going to be tremendous. It's the same thing scouts will say about Toure if he comes here.

Yeah, we saw how hard it was for Donovan Clingan to make the step up.

 

[NJHusky]

A stud 3 and a backup center.

Don’t we have Stew, Ross and Mullins for the 3?

 

[Huskyforlife]

Don’t we have Stew, Ross and Mullins for the 3?

Yes, and Furphy. We're finding a starting 3 from those options.