NCAA analyst gets brutally honest on Alex Karaban

After two seasons watching others shine while he complemented his teammates, Alex Karaban will enter his senior season with high expectations. Karaban, a member of the back-to-back national champions UConn Huskies, elevated his game in the 2024-25 season, but the campaign didn’t end as he would have liked. 

Dan Hurley’s team was shocked by the eventual national champions Florida Gators, in the second round of the NCAA tournament. Karaban became a top option for Hurley, which is promising ahead of the 2025-26 campaign.

The forward carries high expectations, but he needs to fix a couple of things in his game to reach the next level. One analyst believes he goes just fine with the motions, but he tends to overthink when an apparent easy shot is right in front of him.

Analyst says Alex Karaban is “too smart” on the court 

In Monday’s episode of the “Field of 68 After Dark” podcast, analyst Rob Dauster told John Fanta that Karaban thinks too much when he’s in front of a positive situation, calling his hesitation “a mess.”

Head coach Dan Hurley of the Connecticut Huskies greets Alex Karaban #11

“He’s too smart for his own good. Like he thinks too much,” Dauster said. “It was one of those things where when he was wide open and in a catch and shoot situation and he had an opportunity to like to think about what was about to happen, he was a mess.”

After posting 14.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.5 blocks per game last season, Karaban should take his game to the next level this campaign, as the Huskies have unfinished business.