BOSTON – The dual-homecoming for Alex Karaban and A.J. Dybantsa lived up to its billing on Saturday night as the third-ranked UConn men’s basketball team held off No. 7 BYU in a thrilling top-10 matchup on the Boston Celtics’ home parquet at TD Garden.
The game was largely promoted as a return home for Dybantsa, who grew up in Brockton, Mass., about 25 miles south of the arena, before going out to the west coast and becoming one of the best high school prospects in his class. With 21 of his 25 points coming in the second half, putting the Cougars on his back to nearly pull off a 20-point comeback, Dybantsa showed why he is projected as a top NBA Draft pick.
There wasn’t as much hype surrounding Karaban’s homecoming, the UConn captain and two-time national champion hailing from Southborough, Mass., about 30 miles west of the arena. But he didn’t care.
That moment has come already, when UConn wound up in Boston during its 2024 NCAA Tournament run. Karaban’s two-handed slam remains one of the most memorable plays from the Huskies’ remarkable 30-0 scoring run against Illinois to get back to the Final Four.
He played 39 minutes on Saturday night and was one of three Huskies with 21 points in the 86-84 win, only missing three shots from the field and making all four attempts from beyond the arc.
“I loved it,” he said. “I definitely had this game circled when I saw our whole schedule released, and it was special. Some of my favorite games of my UConn career were the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight games a few years ago when we played here, so just being blessed to have the opportunity to come back here and play with another UConn squad was awesome. I loved every second of it, just warming up, getting ready for the game, it was just a huge blessing and I loved every second of it.”
Well, maybe not every second.
For the first 25 minutes on Saturday, it looked as though the Huskies could come close to the level of dominance they had during that back-to-back title run again. Every time BYU got an ounce of momentum, Karaban or one of his teammates was there for a big shot to answer.
But Dybantsa wouldn’t let the Cougars go down without a fight. He erased his first-half struggles and dominated in isolation, making 7 of 8 from the field after the break and getting UConn’s wings into foul trouble.
“I’m watching the evolution from game-to-game into tonight, I mean this guy’s out there guarding, he’s on the backboard, he’s communicating with his teammates, he’s playing with a level of desperation to win the game,” UConn coach Dan Hurley said of the freshman. “For a guy that’s gonna be maybe the No. 1 pick, it’s a little refreshing to see the guy and the mental toughness. I mean, his first half was a mess and for him to be able to put that behind him back home and put that second half performance on was as good as you’ll see from a freshman. And I told him that (after the game).”
UConn’s depth shines, and there is still more to come
Hurley used eight players on Saturday night with Karaban, Silas Demary Jr. and Tarris Reed Jr. – the 21-point club – playing 39, 36 and 34 minutes, respectively. Demary was named MVP of the game, which was part of the Basketball Hall of Fame Series.
Jayden Ross provided a strong 12 minutes off the bench, showing he has the talent and athleticism to hold up on the defensive end and make big-time shots. Malachi Smith played 22 minutes, though he wasn’t at his best offensively, and freshman center Eric Reibe provided a solid six minutes in relief of Reed. Freshman Jacob Furphy was available to make his regular season debut but didn’t have enough experience to be an option off the bench with the way the game finished.
“I think, one through 15, I believe we’ve got the best roster in college basketball,” Karaban said.
And Braylon Mullins, UConn’s own five-star freshman, hasn’t yet gotten out of his polo shirt and khakis on game night. Mullins could return from his ankle injury sooner than the Huskies initially thought, however.
“It’s looking good for Braylon. Braylon’s progressing nicely, he’s working his way back. We could see him sooner for some of these big games than we originally thought, the guy’s a fast healer,” Hurley said. “Getting him back I think is just gonna help us space the floor better.”
Huskies struggle with pressure
BYU started the game with a three-quarter court press, bringing double-teams to pressure the ball and forcing four UConn turnovers in the first five minutes of action. But UConn started to get stops and translate their defensive effort into transition offense, which helped break open the game in the first half.
Then the pressure came back as the Huskies’ offense fell stagnant for long stretches during the second half, and turned the ball over nine times.
“I think it was maybe first time seeing it, having a big lead, game pressure, some bad decision-making, not attacking the pressure,” Hurley said. “I just thought we got tentative, and that’s not gonna be a problem for this team.”
Foot stays on gas
UConn didn’t play a strong, 40-minute game. But it did play at a championship level for about 25, which is a solid start, especially this early in the season. The win was all that mattered as the Huskies began their gauntlet of a nonconference schedule, which includes five ranked opponents. Next up is No. 5 Arizona and its own star freshman, Koa Peat, at Gampel Pavilion on Wednesday.
“It’s a weird feeling because we had a chance to really put on a 40-minute, great performance, but it’s also early in the year and teams improve throughout the year as the season goes on. Maybe over the next couple of weeks we’re able to sustain 30 minutes of that, then 33 minutes of that level and then 37 minutes of that level. As the season goes on, you improve, players get better, the team gets better, and we’ll be able to put forth more of a 40-minute effort, if that makes sense,” Hurley said. “But it was a big win for us to get. I think they’re gonna have a great year and it obviously creates an even bigger game on Wednesday.”
Arizona, led by Peat and veteran guard Jaden Bradley, has already collected wins against a third-ranked (at the time) Florida team and 15th-ranked UCLA.
“No one’s had a better start to the year than those guys,” Hurley said.
