The Most Successful Modern College Basketball Career of All Time
Why Alex Karaban's epic run with UConn hoops is so historic
When I first became aware that a guy named Alex Karaban was transferring to our school, I had never heard of him.
That’s because he was from out of town, and was also in eighth grade.
This was in 2017, and I was a junior at the time. Our school, Saint Peter-Marian, was a middle and high school combined, so talented eighth graders could play varsity sports in rare cases. Alex was one of those rare cases. And he not only played varsity, but was our best player on a team that had some serious talent from all around the city, and competed in the highest division in Massachusetts.
We had an extremely disappointing loss to our rival in the playoffs, but it was a meaningful season that I know no one on that team will ever forget. And seeing what Alex has done since makes it more surreal by the day that I once was in the same starting five as him.
“I’m ultimately leaving UConn in a better place right now from where I started,” he said after his last game as a Huskie, and this is indeed true.
Alex was a four year starter who won two national championships and was runner-up in the most recent title game against Michigan last month. He is also UConn’s all time leader in wins, starts, and three point makes. Read that sentence again. That would be impressive at any college, never mind one that has won multiple championships and produced Hall of Fame NBA playerss. It’s no surprise that no one playing for UConn will ever wear the number 11 again, as it was rightfully retired earlier this year.
The 2023-2024 team that won it all is arguably the greatest college basketball team of all time. It was basically a pro team. Tristen Newton, Cam Spencer, Donovan Clingan, and Stephon Castle are all in the NBA, and Alex is on his way to the league now that he is about to graduate from UConn. This squad went an incredible 37-3, won the Big East tournament, and dominated every March Madness game, including the National Championship against a stacked Purdue team.
It doesn’t get more iconic than that, except for perhaps UConn’s dramatic comeback against Duke in this year’s elite eight, in which Braylon Mullins hit a deep three with seconds left to win the game. Alex hit a key three himself off a down screen a few plays before, which was pivotal. And on that fateful play when Duke turned it over, Alex got the ball and could’ve taken a contested shot, but instead calmly passed it back to a more open Mullins, who nailed the shot that will forever be a part of March Madness lore, at a Christian Laettner, Kris Jenkins level.
That pass was a prime example of how smart he always plays. He never forces. He never panics. During the March Madness games this past season, Bill Rafferty kept talking about how the offense and everything flows through him, and it’s true. He’s always moving, setting screens, boxing out, making the right pass, making the right cut, all while looking to score with his strong finishing and elite shooting abilities. It’s extremely unsurpising that he wins so much.
Add in the clutch gene that he undeniably has, and you have a basketball legend. Long before the UConn dynasty, when guys like me were still on the court with him, Alex was already making heroic plays.
In a city tournament game, we were down by three with a few seconds left, when he hit a three to send it into overtime. After the first overtime, it was still tied, and we went into a second. At the end of the second overtime, we found ourselves down by three with a few seconds left again, and again he hit a three to send it into triple overtime. People in the gym were going crazy. We ended up winning.
Talk about an obvious sign that someone is destined for greatness. And the prophecies have come true. But he has not only become great, he has become one of the greats, putting together the most successful modern college basketball career of all time. I can’t wait to see what he does next.