UConn’s depth critical to March run; Karaban finalist for Malone Award

NEW YORK – UConn’s bench has been volatile this season.

Reserves like Malachi Smith and Eric Reibe have directly contributed to winning some of the team’s biggest games of the year, as have Jayden Ross and Jaylin Stewart, but consistency issues with the bench have lingered throughout Big East play.

Smith scored 14 points with nine assists in a win over Illinois at Madison Square Garden and had nine assists in back-to-back wins over Florida, also at MSG, and Texas in Hartford. But he’s also had several games where mistakes have forced the coaching staff to pull him off the court.

Reibe was thrown into the fire right out of the gate, having to hold his own against some of the best frontcourts in the country and had eight points and seven rebounds against Illinois and 12 points and eight rebounds at Kansas; the freshman also had some big games against Xavier, who the Huskies drew in the quarterfinal round of the Big East Tournament Thursday. He’s had games where he’s looked like a veteran on defense and on the boards, but he’s also had a few matchups that have made him look his age (19).

The junior wing duo of Ross and Stewart has impacted several games, too, though their production isn’t always reflected on the stat sheet. Ross’ loudest performance came in the form of 13 points and eight rebounds against Butler, and he’s emerged as a primary defender off the bench, most recently scoring six with seven rebounds, two steals and a block in the Huskies’ loss at Marquette.

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Stewart, who will be unavailable for the Big East Tournament due to a right knee injury, has had some of his best moments of his career inside the Garden.

Averaging 4.5 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 17.7 minutes per game this season, Stewart hit a massive 3-pointer that served as the Huskies’ only bench points in their overtime win at Providence. He’s hit several shots like that one over his three years with the program, including when he made three to lift UConn over Marquette in the Big East Tournament championship game as a freshman.

His absence leaves a hole, particularly as a reserve in the frontcourt to relieve Alex Karaban, who had to play all 40 minutes in two of the three games Stewart missed at the end of the regular season. Karaban averaged 33.9 minutes per game over the course of the season, which was second-most in the Big East.

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“It’s always gonna be next man up,” Karaban said. “Everyone’s gotta elevate their play; starters have got to play better, bench guys have got to step up. Stewie does a lot out there, it doesn’t always represent what’s on the stat sheet. Stewie is a big piece of this team and when he’s out, we’ve just got to step up and replace what he does.”

Coach Dan Hurley mentioned that the coaches have been preparing to potentially use a two-big lineup in response to the loss of Stewart, which could continue into the NCAA Tournament. But that plan could potentially be foiled with early foul trouble to Tarris Reed Jr., who has proven to be the engine of the team at both ends of the court and the most important to its success.

“With certain matchups it makes more sense, and now we’ve had this whole week to practice,” Hurley said Tuesday, before UConn headed down to MSG.

In order for the Huskies to make a run at a championship, or two, in March, finding that second wave of energy from their reserves, which both the 2023 and 2024 title teams had, will be critical.

“We need to come in and try to elevate and not sink the level (of play),” Reibe said after he had eight points and five rebounds at Villanova two weeks ago. “We’re a pretty deep team, and we’ve just got to go into every game with that mentality that we are a deep team and we can all step up.”

Karaban named finalist for Malone Award

It is the season of recognition for Karaban, who was named First Team All-Big East by both the league’s coaches and the AP over the weekend for the first time in his four-year career. The winningest player in UConn history, already in the Huskies of Honor, was named one of five finalists for the Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Award on Thursday by the Naismith Hall of Fame.

He joins Solo Ball, on the Jerry West Award top five list, as Huskies honored among the “Starting Five” award finalists.

Karaban averaged 12.9 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.8 ‘stocks’ (steals and blocks) per game over the course of the regular season while shooting 47.9% from the floor, 40.0% from 3 and 84.6% from the free throw line. He is one of two Huskies to start all 31 games this season and has put together a team-high five 20-point efforts.