Alex Karaban’s journey to top recruit at New Hampton
NEW HAMPTON, N.H. (BVM) — Alex Karaban hasn’t had the typical high school experience. The New Hampton junior has moved around quite a bit to start off his high school basketball career, having now played at three different programs.
“I’ve played at two different high schools before New Hampton and it was a little difficult at first getting adjusted to the new schools and coaching styles, but I’ve liked it a lot,” Karaban said. “They’ve all taught me different things and they’ve all shown me different aspects of the game, that’s all helped me become the player I am today. Just for them to put me in different situations, like my first high school, I played a completely different position than my last high school and those have just all been helpful to become the player I am.”
Starting as an eighth grader on the varsity team at St. Peter-Marian High School in Massachusetts, Karaban averaged more than 16 points per game before heading to Algonquin Regional High School for his freshman season. At Algonquin, Karaban averaged 22.4 points, eight rebounds and three assists per game, while also adding 39 3-pointers with the Tomahawks.
The switch to New Hampton as a sophomore made sense for Karaban who looked for a higher level of competition at the prep school level.
“His approach to the game is probably the most impressive piece,” New Hampton coach Andrew Gale said. “He’s very professional about it, he understands that his role changes. He’s also one of the most humble kids I’ve been able to work with in the sense that he never thinks he’s bigger than the team. He’s able to fulfill his role but also help guys understand their roles, while also being a really good teammate.
“I just think his ability to have a mature approach in that sense. He’s more mature beyond his years and I think that’s why he’s been able to be so successful, especially making the jump that he did from his high school to New Hampton. That’s like going from a public school to a program where we had five Division I players and this year’s squad probably has seven to eight, so being able to make that jump really speaks to his approach to the game and how serious he takes it as well.”
In his first season at New Hampton, Karaban averaged 20 points and 8.8 rebounds, helping lead the program to a Class AAA NEPSAC championship. Playing with older players hasn’t fazed the 6-foot-8 forward. It’s unusual for a young player like Karaban to be a difference maker in the NEPSAC.
“It’s really rare,” Gale said. “He was the only sophomore in our league to be first team All-NEPSAC AAA. He’s probably one of the first ones we’ve had in a long time. Even our league tends to be post-grads, but he was so good in his approach and everything he did, that there was no way that we weren’t going to give him the keys to the car, even as a sophomore.”
“It’s been fun,” Karaban said when asked about playing with older players. “Going into it, I was not experienced at all. I was challenged and I just wasn’t ready at the time, but then just practicing along with them and them teaching me all this stuff, and giving me confidence that I can do what I do, really got me better.”
The Huskies’ coach has seen real growth on the court in his star forward’s first year at the school.
“It’s a major growth that Alex has kind of taken over,” Gale said. “Coming in as a sophomore on a team full of seniors and post grads, he really took on ownership of the squad and understanding that he was our best player last year. He’s really grown as a leader, holding guys accountable and all that stuff.
“Another thing he’s really grown in is understanding that he doesn’t have to hold on the perimeter. He’s really good at reading mismatches and putting together offensive possessions where he can shoot threes if he has a bigger guy on him, or go score on smaller guys in the post. Those have been the biggest areas where he’s improved.”
Heading into his junior year, Karaban looks to lead his team to another championship this season. He is currently the No. 56-ranked player for the Class of 2022 by 247Sports, and has already gained interest nationally, receiving offers from Providence, Indiana, Stanford, Georgetown, Purdue, Marquette, Bryant, Boston College, Penn State, Xavier, Creighton and Virginia Tech.
“The recruiting process is kind of stressful at times but not really,” Karaban said. “I’m just grateful for all the schools that reach out every time. I’ve enjoyed it and I love hearing all the coaches talk to me.
“I love building these relationships and just to hear from those schools is amazing because as a kid, I’ve watched pretty much all the schools that have offered me so far and it’s just awesome to hear that their coaching staffs believe in me.”
