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Two-time national champion Alex Karaban wants one more shot at reaching the mountaintop in Storrs.
The UConn star announced Tuesday morning that he is running it back for his senior season, a rare situation in modern-day college basketball for a player to stay at his school for all four years of his career.
Connecticut head coach Dan Hurley has always said Karaban is the perfect fit for his program, so if there was a guy to make this move, the 6-foot-8 Massachusetts native is the poster boy for it. Averaging 14.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game this past year, Karaban earned second-team All-Big East honors. This return is a sign of the benefits of NIL, with Karaban being able to earn seven figures during his senior year of college, as opposed to going the pro route where he would likely be in the G League next season.
This is massive news for UConn, which will be a top-10 team in my FOX Sports Preseason Top 25 rankings. The Huskies return Solo Ball, Tarris Reed and Jaylen Stewart, while also ushering in the nation’s ninth-ranked recruiting class, headlined by Georgia transfer Silas Demary and five-star guard Braylon Mullins.
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Karaban will look to capitalize on some unfinished business after the Huskies fell in the first weekend of this past year’s NCAA Tournament and were knocked out in the Big East Tournament semifinals.
“I pride myself on accepting challenges and holding myself to the highest standard,” Karaban said in a social media post. “Last year, we didn’t achieve what we set out to, and I am not running from a chance to make that right. 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.”
Hurley also announced the addition of former Villanova interim head coach and assistant Mike Nardi to his staff. Nardi, who was a four-year starter at Villanova from 2003-07, spent the last decade on the Main Line and was a part of Jay Wright’s dynasty with national championships in 2016 and 2018. After Kevin Willard did not retain Nardi, who served as interim after Kyle Neptune was fired and led Villanova to the College Basketball Crown semifinals, Nardi was looking for a new spot. The timing worked perfectly with UConn legend Tom Moore moving to the general manager chair in Storrs, opening the door for Hurley to hire a top-tier assistant who adds to Connecticut’s championship pedigree.
The bricks are being laid in Storrs for a reload in 2025-26 and UConn looks more than poised to go at St. John’s for the top spot in the Big East. Expect that rivalry to only keep intensifying next season.
John Fanta is a national college basketball broadcaster and writer for FOX Sports. He covers the sport in a variety of capacities, from calling games on FS1 to serving as lead host on the BIG EAST Digital Network to providing commentary on The Field of 68 Media Network. Follow him at @John_Fanta.
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