(Photograph by Sarah Stier/Getty Pictures)
When Alex Karaban decided to return to UConn for another season, his fifth with the program, the clear and obvious goal was to win another national championship. Now a redshirt senior, Karaban entered the 2025-26 campaign having already won two titles with the Huskies. And after the chance for a three-peat fell short last spring, the star forward bypassed the chance to turn pro for one more run alongside head coach Dan Hurley.
There were three championships to chase for a team that entered the year with sky-high expectations: a Big East regular season title, a Big East Tournament title and the school’s third national championship in four years. The first two opportunities came and went. UConn stumbled in its final regular season game against Marquette, which handed St. John’s the outright title, and then got walloped by the Red Storm in the Big East title game last weekend.
Now, the only championship remaining for Karaban to chase is the sport’s ultimate prize. The Huskies earned a No. 2 seed in the East Region and will begin their pursuit on Friday night against No. 15 seed Furman in Philadelphia. It’s officially Karaban’s last dance.
“I feel no pressure whatsoever,” Karaban told me this week during an interview that also promoted his brand partnership with Great Clips. “Yes, we didn’t accomplish the goals that we wanted, but that only means that people don’t believe in us. People [picked] us to win the Huge East, folks noticed all these accomplishments for us, and we didn’t do it. We didn’t do it. It was our fault. It’s clearly a disappointing feeling that we’ve. However on the finish of the day, I feel that simply made folks not imagine in us. So if folks don’t wish to imagine in us, that’s their selection.”
This is our dialog, which has been condensed and edited for readability.
You’ve gone by means of a couple of Choice Sundays by now. What was the emotion for you figuring out that this was your final one?
Karaban: It was cool going by means of Choice Sunday. I feel the nerves by no means actually change. You all the time get excited simply figuring out who you’re going to play and the place you’re going to go. March Insanity, it’s virtually like a brand new season in a manner, and it’s an thrilling feeling. It’s thrilling to see your teammates that haven’t been part of March Insanity form of really feel these feelings as nicely. You’re employed so exhausting your complete yr for March Insanity, so it’s thrilling. And now it’s actually time to lock in a single recreation at a time.
What’s the temper of the staff after the Huge East title recreation didn’t go your manner? You’re nonetheless 29-5. How are you feeling about the place the group is mentally proper now?
Karaban: We’re in a great place. Clearly, Saturday didn’t go the way in which that we needed to, and loads of disappointment and actually attempting to nonetheless flush that recreation out of our system. However on the finish of the day, we’ve gotta transfer on, figuring out the chance that we’ve forward of us and the way thrilling March Insanity is for everyone. I used to be a part of a staff the place we didn’t win the Huge East Match, and we had been in a position to flip that to successful a nationwide championship [in 2022-23]. We will’t let what occurred on Saturday outline how our season goes, and we’ve actually simply bought to proceed to maneuver ahead and study from it — but in addition ensure that doesn’t occur once more.
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Each championship groups throughout your time at UConn had been very dominant within the NCAA Match. What had been among the keys to discovering that degree of consistency to win six straight video games?
Karaban: We by no means seemed forward within the bracket. We began one recreation at a time. For us, it is going to be Furman to begin [this run]. Simply locking in and actually blocking out all the surface noise. We didn’t wish to hear something from different folks in addition to the folks in our circle. These had been the one voices that mattered. We stayed with it, we had a constructive angle each single day, and actually simply trusted each other, trusted the coaches and leaned on one another as teammates to in the end get what we needed.
There are various instances all year long when Coach Hurley talks about how a lot credit score he provides to the teaching workers for drawing up recreation plans and scouting. Is that aspect of the sport amplified throughout these fast turnarounds within the NCAA Match?
Karaban: I all the time believe within the teaching workers. Each single recreation this yr, I felt greater than ready, and I felt prepared for each single recreation. It’s simply on us as gamers to go on the market and execute what they need us to do. No matter assistant [coach] has the scout all the time does a fantastic job, and all through my expertise in March Insanity, they’ve been making ready nonstop for any opponent. So I really feel greater than prepared. I do know we’ve bought the perfect coaches, and Coach Hurley additionally chimes in, too, for the scouts on each single recreation and makes positive that we’re locked in for it. It’s all the time a collective effort from the coaches, and so they’re the perfect. They’re actually the perfect coaches.
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The non-conference schedule that you simply performed early within the yr included quite a few groups that are actually seeded fairly excessive within the NCAA Match. How nicely do you suppose that ready you for among the groups you’ll see now that aren’t essentially from the Huge East?
Karaban: Oh, that ready us lots. All the colleges that we performed — Arizona, Kansas, BYU — simply all these elite, non-conference opponents that we performed, one, it provides us confidence in how good of a staff we’re. But additionally, [it showed us] what it’s prefer to play in opposition to the perfect. We felt like we had the perfect non-conference [schedule] to organize us for moments like March Insanity. We’ll be prepared. We’re going to organize. We’re actually going to have our sights locked in on Furman and transfer ahead. I’m excited. I feel there’s only a complete perception system going by means of our program, figuring out what we did within the non-conference may actually translate to March.
Within the moments this season when UConn has performed its finest basketball, what clicks for this explicit staff?
Karaban: I feel we had been on the market simply actually leaning on one another. We had been on the market giving one another confidence. We had been on the market having enjoyable. And we had been actually taking part in like we simply let unfastened on the market. Actually simply taking part in as if there was no fear on the planet. You noticed the enjoyment that we had, you noticed the joy. However actually, I feel it began on the defensive finish, too. We had been actually purchased in defensively. We had been taking good care of the basketball and simply performed off each other. I feel that’s one thing we’ve bought to do in March and actually simply get pleasure from every little thing that we’re a part of.
(Photograph by Patrick McDermott/Getty Pictures)
Why do you suppose the type of UConn’s offense, which incorporates so many actions and actions, is so troublesome for groups to defend within the NCAA Match?
Karaban: I feel it begins with we’re positively the staff that makes use of essentially the most off-ball motion and all these sophisticated actions. There’s probably not different groups in different conferences that do as a lot off-ball [movement] as we do. I feel that may throw groups for a loop figuring out that almost all [of the time] they’re simply guarding ball screens or simply guarding a single pin down, when we’ve so many actions with so many counter-punches to a sure motion, too. I feel that’s extraordinarily troublesome. After which additionally, if we’re in a position to win on Friday, you get a one-day prep as nicely for us. And I feel having such a brief prep for us can actually be a bonus for us with groups not in a position to see us your complete yr.
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While you get an opportunity to speak to a few of your teammates who haven’t performed within the NCAA Match but, whether or not these are freshmen or among the transfers, what do you inform them concerning the seriousness it takes — but in addition what it’s prefer to benefit from the expertise?
Karaban: There’s clearly a degree of seriousness that it is advisable have. Each staff that makes March Insanity is nice. I imply, they’re all in it for a motive. So that you’ve bought to have a degree of seriousness and supreme respect for anybody you’re going to play in opposition to. However you’ve bought to have enjoyable with it, too. You’ve dreamed of taking part in in March Insanity. All of us dreamed of taking part in school basketball, and all of us watched March Insanity rising up. So to be part of it’s all the time particular, it’s all the time a blessing, and you may’t take it with no consideration.
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