List of 3-time NCAA national champions: Alex Karaban has chance to join exclusive list

Alex Karaban will have a chance at history come the 2026 Men's NCAA Tournament Final Four. The UConn men's basketball redshirt senior guard is looking to join an exclusive list of players to win three national titles during their collegiate career. Karaban was on the Huskies' back-to-back championship teams in 2023 and 2024.

REQUIRED READING: March Madness bracket hot takes: Duke blows it, UConn wins it, Arizona shouldn't care Karaban, along with teammates Hassan Diarra and Samson Johnson, was denied an opportunity to earn a three-peat last season when Florida knocked them out of the tournament in the second round. Diarra and Johnson have both since moved on from UConn, but Karaban, 23, has a chance to become the first player to accomplish this feat in 53 NCAA seasons. Larry Farmer and Larry Hollyfield were the last players to become three-time NCAA Tournament champions when the John Wooden-coached UCLA Bruins defeated Memphis State in the national championship game.

Perhaps the biggest name to win three national championships during his collegiate career was Lew Alcindor (now Kareem Abdul-Jabbar). He led the Bruins to three straight titles between 1967 and 1969. The title marked the end of a dynastic seven straight national titles for the Bruins.

Here's a look at the list of three-time national champions in college basketball history: Three-time national champion college basketball players Here's a look at the three-time national champions in college basketball history: 1967-69 — Lew Alcindor (now Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) 1967-69 — Lynn Shackelford 1969-71 — Curtis Rowe 1969-71 — Sidney Wicks 1969-71 — Steve Patterson 1970-72 — Henry Bibby 1971-73 — Larry Farmer 1971-73 — Larry Hollyfield This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Alex Karaban has chance to join list of 3-time national champions