The Legacy of Alex Karaban | Page 3 | The Boneyard

The Legacy of Alex Karaban

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AdamaNation said:
Well we could get one more year with him and who would not want that!??!
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Yeah I don’t think one more year is outside the realm of possibility like many imagine. NIL could be a factor as well. I don’t see Alex as a first round NBA pick (maybe I’m wrong). Could have a similar path as Eric Dixon although I think Dixon is a better overall player.
 
Hans Sprungfeld said:
Dan reverts back to Danny while being out coached by McDermott.

The team plays tight and continues to rush shots without opponents forcing them to do so. And doesn't sustain defensive intensity which leaves the other team unrattled and more poised.

Alex and Hassan show the stresses of either deciding or being expected to do too much, and other players decline to step up and step into new roles with greater confidence.

People wail about the loss of Liam, but also claim he won't make enough of a difference when he returns, and Danny agrees, calling the team soft and unfocused.

The team is prone to acting like they don't trust themselves, and the coach is doing so too, but won't more accurately state this. That's fine, so long as he addresses it. And he knows he has to. And we know he has.

It's mid-January, and the things to work on aren't a mystery. Some people are still posting like a trade deadline is looming and we need new players. Once again, this is our roster.

Nova & Creighton were winnable, and both were losses, and too many keep jockeying for the best, "I knew it" and, "I told you so" takes.

And we end up with an invitation to weigh in on Alex Karaban's legacy, as though we can't refuse a post that would be trolling if offered by somebody who doesn't like UConn, but instead is just an ill-timed and ill-advised idea pitched by an egotistical forum veteran who wants to raise an unhelpful question for spritz & wiggles.

So who's having fun?

2 years ago when the board's collective opinion was similarly organizing around flaws, opponents started to press 'the team that didn't have a point guard.' It was rattling, until Dan Hurley settled on freshman Alex being the guy who inbounded the ball. It worked.

Yesterday, Alex had a better end-of-game shot when he caught the ball, and then he moved to the left, and, off-balance, he launched a much worse shot.

Yes, it starts with defense (which keeps lapsing), but we don't currently have a composed offense.

Stick to the next opponent and the next game.
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Great post. As usual.
 
Even if you're disappointed with how this season has gone for him, thinking that ruins his legacy is dumb. Turns out they don't take away championships for disappointing a few irrational fans
 
This thread proves how short a memory we have when it comes to Karaban.

Did he not go through a several game slump just last year? Gonzaga, Seton Hall, St. John's. Marquette, Creighton, Villanova. He went into slumps last year, and he worked himself out of it.

I also don't understand the criticism of him driving. This team needs people to drive and he consistently gets close to the basket. The fact that he's missing those floaters doesn't take away from the fact that he has hit those floaters in the past and the team badly needs players like him to drive into the lane.
 
Honestly, I’m mostly bummed out for him. You’re watching a young man who was at the top of the heap with great expectations implode with a cast of characters that put him at his worst. He’s not ever going to be no. 1 scoring threat and when SJ is sitting unguarded 20 feet from the hoop all it does is allow AK to be harassed with more defenders. We are playing 4 on 5 on offense.
 
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I have always thought of him as the most elite role player in the country. He is not a shot creator but is the actual ideal guy to have on your team next to a creator. Similar to draymond green or klay thompson or name a guy from the spurs or bulls runs. It feels like an insult to call him a role player but I dont mean it that way
 
I resisted opening this thread, as it is akin to writing your obituary while you are still alive. One observation that caught my eye was that it seems Alex was not quite the same after he came back from concussion. I am sure that is being closely monitored, but have to wonder if that along with his tendency to obsessively work and take responsibility might be creating a negative personal environment. You have to have room to succeed in your life. If your personal space is cluttered with too much "stuff", there isn't room for that success. Lets hope he contributes positively and accepts what limitations there are to that contribution, and that success feeds on itself.

AK is AK, nobody else. Lets all let him be that guy, not compare him to other people or "who he needs to be". He's the Captain of a very good team, that team needs positivity from him, not just points and rebounds.
 
AllHusky said:
I resisted opening this thread, as it is akin to writing your obituary while you are still alive. One observation that caught my eye was that it seems Alex was not quite the same after he came back from concussion. I am sure that is being closely monitored, but have to wonder if that along with his tendency to obsessively work and take responsibility might be creating a negative personal environment. You have to have room to succeed in your life. If your personal space is cluttered with too much "stuff", there isn't room for that success. Lets hope he contributes positively and accepts what limitations there are to that contribution, and that success feeds on itself.

AK is AK, nobody else. Lets all let him be that guy, not compare him to other people or "who he needs to be". He's the Captain of a very good team, that team needs positivity from him, not just points and rebounds.
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AK had 21 pts, 11 rebs, 4 assists, 2 steals, 2 blocks against Texas on the road in his first game back after the concussion.
 
I remember around this time two years ago, many were ready to jettison Andre Jackson into the wilderness. Then he had an incredible tournament. Maybe, let's wait until the season is done before we write any obits. There is a month and a half left to the season for the staff to scheme up adjustments to how teams are guarding him.
 
AK is halfway through his junior year. He has the rest of this season and with NIL there is a possibility that he stays for his senior year. If we are talking about his legacy to this point the word that comes mind for me is stellar.
 
He has been an essential piece of two championship teams. How could he not be remembered fondly?

It seems to me that his downturn from a fan perspective started when he missed two key free throws. I would like to remind people that Donyell Marshall also missed two clutch free throws in a much much bigger game, and most people still remember him positively.

As many have pointed out, his production is higher this year than the previous two, but he is just not a take over the game type of player. Reminds me of the fable about the scorpion, “You knew what I was when you asked me for a ride!” He’s a hard worker, that moves continuously, that can score, rebound, assist, and be a consummate team player.
 
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I’m glad I started this thread and I think there have been a lot of great points said so far. I didn’t intend it to be an obituary but I think it’s fair and honest to observe the struggles and acknowledge/address comments like “Hassan is our best player” when he was a role player nonstarter to this point. Or to say we “need” Liam to assume the alpha role.

Let’s look at it this way. How many big East teams would he be a top 2-3 player all time on? We have an embarrassment of riches to even discuss him.
 
Thank you Alex for all the winning and the thousands of 'likes' you have generated for me. (and thank you @gwhuskyfan for allowing us to get to know Alex) I'm along for the ride on the stairway to seven.
 
This is stupid. You don't talk about the legacy of a player until he's done.

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