In a recent video released by the UConn Men’s Basketball social media team, the Huskies are shown preparing for the 2025-26 season. Two-time NCAA champion senior Alex Karaban was mic’d up for a practice.
After a turbulent 2024-25 regular season, the Huskies made an early exit in the second round of last year’s NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, losing 77-75 to eventual national champion Florida. Now, they’ll reset and look to clinch a third title in four years.
UConn Senior Forward Alex Karaban Leading Charge For Third Title in Four Years
As UConn prepares to seek redemption for last season, senior forward Alex Karaban led the team out for some work on the court.
Gave AK the mic for week 1️⃣😂 pic.twitter.com/QvqLFmjUni
— UConn Men’s Basketball (@UConnMBB) June 7, 2025
“Alright, let’s go. It’s the first day. Have a lot of energy, move around, have fun, let’s get into it, team on 3!” Karaban said while hyping up his teammates for their first session back. The video also shows a couple of standout moments from the forward’s practice routine.
Karaban is shown hyping up teammate Solo Ball’s shot, saying that he’s the “Best Shooter in the Country.”
Ball had a breakout season in 2024 as a freshman, averaging 14.4 points per game and emerging as one of the nation’s top three-point shooters.
In a recent interview with Zach Schumaker, a month after he resigned with the Huskies, Ball revealed that he believed this year’s UConn team “will have a chance to win the national championship,” and is “ready to compete with anybody.” Ball is entering his third season with the Huskies.
While Karaban will have a huge role to play for UConn as one of the team’s most experienced players, the Huskies’ guard was actually gearing up for the 2025 NBA Draft. He withdrew at the last minute.
“Karaban initially submitted his name to the NBA for inclusion on the early-entry list,” according to a report from ESPN. “Upon further reflection, Karaban elected to withdraw and return to Storrs for his final season of eligibility.”
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“After deliberating the last few weeks with my coaches and family about my future, I’ve realized that my heart remains in Storrs, and I have unfinished business to chase another national championship with my brothers,” Karaban said in an X post. “Let’s run it back one last time!”
With Karaban being projected among the top 35 prospects in the 2025 NBA Draft, while not guaranteed, there was a definite chance that he could have snuck into the first round, or gone early in the second. Ultimately, Karaban decided to stay at UConn to try and lead them to one last championship.
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