CANTON – Alex Karaban was loose, all smiles as he put up free throws in a corner of the packed gym at Northstars Sportsplex in Canton, playing “knockout” with a fraction of the kids attending his camp on Saturday.
It was a different vibe from his camp in Newton, Mass., almost a year ago to the day, when the UConn captain was torn between returning for his senior season and entering the NBA Draft. He’d already faced the decision once, isolating himself while he measured his options after winning back-to-back national championships as a sophomore, so it was progress that he was out running a camp last spring. But it was tense.
There are no decisions now.
The Huskies’ all-time winningest player concluded his college career with a third trip to the championship game in four years. It was the first time he, or the program, lost on that stage, and just his second loss in 20 career NCAA Tournament games, so it took some time to get over. But on Saturday, with the college basketball world stressed over the transfer portal and UConn fans, in particular, waiting on similar big decisions from their own stars, Karaban was glad to know his next steps.
He had taken a few days off to rest before getting back in the gym with team managers at UConn, as chronicled by coach Dan Hurley on social media, and flying out for NBA Draft prep with his agency in Chicago. He flew back to Connecticut for the camp and will return to Chicago for more workouts ahead of the combine next month.
“It was a good little physical, mental break, but I’m doing great. I’m excited to move on and really start something new,” he said. “Knowing that my college career is finished, I saw it play out completely, and heading into this NBA journey now knowing I’m fully committed to it. Leaving nothing behind in college.”
Karaban is projected to go anywhere from late in the first round to the middle of the second round in the draft, which will take place on June 23 and 24. At this point, having played 151 college games, NBA organizations know what they would be getting.
“I’ve proved myself throughout my college career, just what I can do as a player, the intangibles I have, who I am as a person,” he said. “I think people have plenty of evidence to see that throughout my college career. So really I’m just gonna be myself during this process, continue to show the type of player I am and just be ready for it. Physically, get healthy, get that rest after the long season, be ready to go. But I’m excited for the process. I really am.”
The UConn group chat is still active, he reported, through what he called “chaos” as everyone looks to make the best decision for the next year of their career. Only two Huskies, point guard Silas Demary Jr. and wing Jayden Ross, have confirmed that they will be back.
“Tarris Reed’s annoying me so much, it’s actually unbelievable,” Karaban said. “In the group chat, he’s sending the voice memos. It’s actually been the most active, I think it’s because we’re all so bored, we have nothing to do. And it’s like, no more practices and coaches are figuring out the portal, all that. So we’re trying to figure it all out. But we’re staying together and the guys mean a lot to me so we’re staying in touch.”
The captain has been in touch with players like Solo Ball, Braylon Mullins and Jaylin Stewart as they figure out their own decisions. Stewart entered the transfer portal on Friday.
“I just try to talk to them through all of the experiences that I’ve had, decisions I’ve had to make, I want to be by their side,” he said. “I know how hard of a decision it is, and each guy is in a different circumstance, but I want them to be truly happy and I want to always be by their side no matter what.”
