UConn's Alex Karaban started his career with 2 NCAA titles. He'll close with a chance at a 3rd
The senior started his career with back-to-back championship seasons so perfect they still feel “like a dream.” It all comes down now to how the versatile 23-year-old — the lead-by-example veteran dubbed the team's “babysitter” by coach Dan Hurley — finishes this tale in Indianapolis. “You dream of being on this stage one time, and to be heading into it for a third time, it's a blessing," Karaban said Sunday.
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The word “legacy” hovers over the final hours of Alex Karaban’s playing career at UConn. The senior started his career with back-to-back championship seasons so perfect they still feel “like a dream. ” He'll close it with a chance to win a third NCAA title with Monday's finale against Michigan, an accomplishment not seen in a half-century, since the days of UCLA's peak domination under John Wooden.
And seemingly just as rare, he's spent an entire four-year career at one school in a time of constant player movement through the transfer portal and players bolting early to chase pro-playing careers, making him practically a unicorn in today's era. It all comes down now to how the versatile 23-year-old — the lead-by-example veteran dubbed the team's “babysitter” by coach Dan Hurley — finishes this tale in Indianapolis. “You dream of being on this stage one time, and to be heading into it for a third time, it's a blessing," Karaban said Sunday.
“I’ve always wanted to come back to win, to win championships, and to leave a legacy that’s unmatched in college basketball. ” Winning plays Karaban is 18-1 in three NCAA Tournament appearances going back to cutting down the nets in 2023 and 2024 , along with last year's narrow second-round loss to eventual champion Florida amid the crushing pressure of chasing a three-peat. That puts him in a tie for second on the all-time list of tournament wins as a starter with his coach's older brother — former Duke point guard Bobby Hurley — and trailing only Blue Devils great Christian Laettner (21).
Saturday's win against Illinois in the national semifinal marked his 150th game at UConn, leading all high-major players in games played at one school. If the Huskies can beat the Wolverines, Karaban would become only the 10th player to win three NCAA titles after playing in the championship game, according to SportRadar. The other nine all played for the Bruins amid their run of seven straight titles from 1967-73.
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