In his senior year with the UConn Huskies, Alex Karaban has led the team to the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA Tournament. They defeated Furman in the first round and the UCLA Bruins in the second round of the tournament.
Karaban was not only a great leader in both outings, but he also contributed 22 points in the first game and 27 points in the second to secure back-to-back wins for his team. The Huskies will face the Michigan State Spartans in the Sweet 16.
Karaban has developed a lot as a player and a leader over the years, and he credits head coach Dan Hurley for his success. Hurley has been with the program since 2018 and has won two NCAA Division I tournaments.
During a recent conversation with Zach Gelb, Karaban was asked what Hurley had done for him during his UConn stint. The star forward said that it’s hard for him to answer that because Hurley’s impact on his life goes way beyond basketball.
“The most simple way I can say he changed my life. He changed my life for the better,” he said. “As a basketball player, he’s made me so much better, but as a man too.”
Karaban said that when he first joined UConn, he didn’t talk to people around him and was very reserved. He said that looking back at that phase, he realized it was Hurley who made him open up, be more social, and become a better leader.
The 23-year-old revealed that whenever he had bad games, Hurley texted him to say that he would bounce back.
“He’s texted me after a loss, being like, ‘You’re gonna learn from it. You’re gonna be better. I still believe in you.’ Those words from a head coach mean everything to a young player,” Karaban said.
He said that Hurley’s faith in him allowed Karaban to be more confident on the court, and it has turned out to be his biggest blessing so far.
Alex Karaban and Dan Hurley Have a Special Bond
Karaban and Hurley have won multiple titles together and have had rough stretches in the last four seasons as well. However, the difficult times have only made them stronger together as they now understand each other very well.
Karaban said that he knows what Hurley expects from him, and they don’t even need to communicate at times because they’re always on the same page. The 23-year-old said that he’ll have a relationship with Coach Hurley for the rest of his life.
“If I need advice, I’m going to him,” he said.
Karaban said that he can’t thank Hurley enough for everything that he has done for him, and he’ll try to repay him with another possible title run this year.
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