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The Alex watch

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HuskyHawk said:
He's going to play less next year if he comes back, than he ever has at UConn. He's old. It's theoretically likely, but coming off back to back titles, he has a little extra positive visibility.
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I don't think that is true. If you have an Alex Karaban you find a way to get him on the floor. I mean he led the team in minutes (or was tied) as a frosh. There is no way Hurley has a junior Karaban available and gives him LESS minutes. I would imagine he would be right around where he has been for the last two years. I know what you are getting at (I think) with minutes needed for Stewart and McNeeley, but there are ways to have your best players on the floor. You have to get out of the box you are thinking in.
 
NJHusky said:
Does his lack of an announcement lean toward staying in the draft? I know deadline is tomorrow, but what is benefit of waiting till the last minute? If he stays in the draft no action is required
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If he was 100% sure either way I think he would have made it clear by now.

If he's leaning towards coming back, there isn't really any downside to keeping his name in the draft until tomorrow with the hopes that a couple teams would give a verbal commitment to a guaranteed roster spot and/or more guaranteed money at the last minute.

If he's leaning towards leaving, I'm sure the staff already knows that and has quietly reached out to some portal options to keep things warm until it is official.
 
NJHusky said:
Does his lack of an announcement lean toward staying in the draft? I know deadline is tomorrow, but what is benefit of waiting till the last minute? If he stays in the draft no action is required
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I believe I saw somewhere he had a workout with a team today, so I wouldn't read too much into the lack of announcement either way yet
 
The idea of Alex, Aidan, and Liam on the floor at the same time makes me giddy. They're all smart, cut well, know how to use screens ,and can score. This is not meant to marginalize Solo, Hassan, Samson, or Jaylin, but we're becoming known for having super savvy hoops competitors (killers).
 
August_West said:
I don't think that is true. If you have an Alex Karaban you find a way to get him on the floor. I mean he led the team in minutes (or was tied) as a frosh. There is no way Hurley has a junior Karaban available and gives him LESS minutes. I would imagine he would be right around where he has been for the last two years. I know what you are getting at (I think) with minutes needed for Stewart and McNeeley, but there are ways to have your best players on the floor. You have to get out of the box you are thinking in.
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Yeah, I'm not knocking Alex. His freshman minutes were because we had no real options behind him and he was such a solid, mature freshman. Then he played some minutes at 5 last year and it took time for Stewart to emerge. I don't think you'd want him playing as much as a he did as a freshman.

Deeper draft class next year and I just feel like this is as good a shot as he's likely to get. Happy to be wrong about that. We are certainly better with him.
 
HuskyHawk said:
Yeah, I'm not knocking Alex. His freshman minutes were because we had no real options behind him and he was such a solid, mature freshman. Then he played some minutes at 5 last year and it took time for Stewart to emerge. I don't think you'd want him playing as much as a he did as a freshman.

Deeper draft class next year and I just feel like this is as good a shot as he's likely to get. Happy to be wrong about that. We are certainly better with him.
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In a perfect world I don't think Hurley likes playing ANY player more than 30 minutes a game. He only does so out of necessity at times. Under 30 minutes with depth allows for intensity to stay up on both ends.
 
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Hopefully, we'll see him in Storrs.
Animated GIF
 
I'm assuming he's gone. At least a few teams should like him enough to give him a deal even in the 2nd round. The question is what would they do as replacement, going for a more veteran player from the portal or swing on a developmental player from international recruiting.
 
metsfan2323 said:
That is not true. Newton improved his draft stock under similar circumstances. The idea that he can't improve his stock by coming back is nonsense. There are no guarantees, but it certainly is possible.
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If he comes back and has a 40% or better year from three and develops that in lane floater he improves his status. He has enough game to play a significant role for a NBA team but he has to be a player that shoots the three as his main weapon. Everything else will play off of that from an offensive perspective. I think because of his length he will be better defensively than expected. He has gotten better defensively almost from game to game during his UConn career.
 
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NJHusky said:
Does his lack of an announcement lean toward staying in the draft? I know deadline is tomorrow, but what is benefit of waiting till the last minute? If he stays in the draft no action is required
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Coach Hurley had said earlier that he hopes that Alex doesn't make him wait as long as Ajax did. You would certainly think that Alex wouldn't delay announcing his decision unless there is something still up in the air. So, it seems to me that his agent must still be actively working on getting a commitment from one or more of the NBA teams.
 
Jbirdp5 said:
Hurley made it sound like a much less complicated decision than most of us are making it out to be…1st round or return to school, we might be overthinking it.
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Hurley will know Alex's final decision before us. If nothing is heard on the portal side of things from the staff, then they expect him to return.
 
I am not objective. I want him to return. I think he is so important for what we want to do. And I say that while also recognizing that Stewart and IA will have huge roles, even if AK returns. I think IA will be solid. I think Solo will be a stud. But AK is the glue. He comes back and suddenly the rest of the guys have some cover. Hugely important.
Is he NBA ready? who cares. This conversation is about money, not NBA readiness.
 
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HuskyHawk said:
He's going to play less next year if he comes back, than he ever has at UConn. He's old. It's theoretically likely, but coming off back to back titles, he has a little extra positive visibility.
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No way he plays less if he comes back. I know McNeeley and Stewart are there but Hurley will figure it out. Reed and Johnson are solid so I can easily see Hurley going small to get the best 5 on the floor. The projections I have seen are anywhere from mid second round to not getting drafted at all. Tough choice for the kid and wish him the best no matter what.
 
Umami Zen said:
Per X-AK working out for Trailblazers today along with 5 or 6 other guys. Blazers picks in Second Round are 34 and 40
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Some people assuming this means he’s gone. Idk enough about nba world to comment.
 
Here's four more first-round mocks from CBS analysts, none of which have AK in the first round:

CBS Sports Mocks

So it's almost certain that AK's decision will come down to whether he gets some kind of promise of guaranteed money from those picking in the early second round. This makes sense that he's working out with Portland today, given their two early second-round picks.

I'm imagining that unless he gets some promise of being drafted with more than just a two-way, he's likely to return. He'd certainly do no worse than a non-guaranteed contract next year, and could potentially do better.

But we'll have to wait and see what Portland might tell his agent. It'll probably come down to the wire tomorrow. And that's fine, this is a huge decision for AK.
 
Consistently in the early to mid second round. He should stay in the draft. Get in the roster. He will prove his worth.
 
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We are too old. Think like a mature college kid. Does the NBA or UConn have better groupies?

Ps: Yes I struggled for that final word, had to be slightly PC.
 
Jbirdp5 said:
Hurley made it sound like a much less complicated decision than most of us are making it out to be…1st round or return to school, we might be overthinking it.
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Only Alex and his close circle including Hurley know what teams are telling him or promising him. But I trust Hurley, as I’m sure Alex does. Unless a team has told Alex we aren’t letting you slip by pick 30, or would be willing to provide first round type guarantees in the early second round, I’d imagine he’d return.
 
Umami Zen said:
Per X-AK working out for Trailblazers today along with 5 or 6 other guys. Blazers picks in Second Round are 34 and 40
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If they offer him a guaranteed contract like Andre Jackson with the Bucks, I think he's gone. I still want to believe Hurley when he said 1st round pick he leaves, 2nd round pick he comes back. But did he say that with the stipulation of the 2nd round pick not being a guaranteed contract? Because that changes everything
 
What a great NIL idea if he returns to UConn - an Alex Karaban Watch! Set the alarm on it and as the alarm time approaches you hear a countdown, a video appears on the screen with Alex getting the ball, shooting it and the shot is made with zero on the shot clock (and the watch alarm). The watch alarm goes off as a basketball buzzer.

Have a Karaban 2023 series, 2024 series, a dual championship series and a watch with the likeness of Tyler Olander and Alex on the watch and the heading 2 >1.
 
TheRogers said:
Consistently in the early to mid second round. He should stay in the draft. Get in the roster. He will prove his worth.
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Eh. Problem with this is it completely contradicts what Hurley said early in the process, unless things have changed. They made it pretty clear that he should only go if he was assured he would go in the 1st round.
 
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