Alex Karaban’s last day as a UConn men’s basketball player has come and gone, but the Huskies’ captain and four-year starter wouldn’t leave for the NBA without having some impact on how the program moves forward without him.
When he saw that Duke’s Nik Khamenia had entered the transfer portal, a player of similar stature and skillset to his, only from the opposite coast, Karaban knew he had to get him to UConn.
“I think he’s awesome,” Karaban said. “When I saw him enter the portal, I think I told Coach (Dan) Hurley right away to go after him. Even playing against him, just how tough he was, how physical he was, the IQ he had, really he did everything. He took advantage of his opportunities at Duke to really help them win and I really liked him a lot. I talked to him when he was on his visit, I texted him when he was in the portal just really trying to get him to come here.”
Khamenia, a Los Angeles native who was a top-15 prospect and a McDonald’s High School All-American when he arrived at Duke, made a strong impression in his 22 minutes against UConn in the Elite Eight matchup last March. He scored seven points (3-for-5 from the field) with two rebounds, an assist and a block, before he was subbed out for the final time with 10 seconds left in the game.
Those next 10 seconds – the tipped pass from Silas Demary Jr. and pitch back from Karaban to set up Braylon Mullins’ game-winning shot – will forever live in March Madness lore. There will be plenty of talk about the shot in November, when Khamenia will be on Mullins’ side wearing the UConn jersey against his former team in Las Vegas.
But Karaban hasn’t ribbed him about it. Not yet at least.
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“That’s not my job, that’s Braylon’s job. Braylon’s gotta be able to deal with that. The game stuff I’ll talk about it, Braylon’s gotta do the hard part and really talk about that shot,” he said.
Karaban’s conversations with his replacement were mostly future focused. He saw the shotmaking, the toughness and the IQ as traits that would help the Huskies continue to compete at the top of the sport.
It only took a week from the time Khamenia announced he was entering the portal that he was seen sitting with Hurley at the Dog Lane Café in Storrs. Three days later, after Karaban wrapped up a basketball camp he hosted for kids in Canton, Khamenia made his decision official.
“The way he plays really fits in with Coach Hurley and UConn. When he was committed I was super excited. I know he’s gonna do great things and I want to be a mentor for him,” Karaban said. “So when I visit UConn, I’m excited to see him, talk to him and really just support him. I want him to be himself and not really who I am because he can be a great player and really not try to replicate what I did, but just be himself and I know he’s gonna be.”
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“Nik competes to the max. He is a fiery player that mirrors how we show up as a program every night in the arena,” Hurley said in a release after Khamenia signed. “His combination of size and skill on the wing along with big-time shot-making ability make him an exciting guy to add to our organization. He has the potential to help us replicate some of the incredible production we got out of that spot from Alex.”
There will be, and have been, comparisons made between the pair of 6-foot-8 forwards, fair or unfair.
Karaban’s legacy is one that will likely stand the test of time. In this era of college basketball, it is extremely difficult to imagine a player even sniffing his accomplishments – starting in 150 games or making 292 career 3-pointers at the same school, let alone starting in three national championship games in four years. The Southborough, Mass., native was the first active player inducted into the Huskies’ of Honor for a reason.
But as far as their play style, the cutting, shot-making and activity on the glass, Karaban sees a smooth transition for the rising sophomore.
“I think it’s a fair comparison,” he said. “I think (Khamenia) could do what I did, but I know he’s going to bring a different element to the game as well. I mean, he was better than me in high school, so really he might be better. I’m rooting for him and if he needs anything, I’ll be there for him. I told him that.”
