Former New Hampton star Alex Karaban stays a Husky with college commitment
NEW HAMPTON, N.H. (BVM) — One of the biggest risers in the Class of 2022 has officially made his choice, as former New Hampton forward Alex Karaban recently announced his commitment to play basketball at the University of Connecticut.
UCONN Nation let’s get to work! 10000% commit! Go Huskies! pic.twitter.com/XMMDIC7jPa
— Alex Karaban (@AlexKaraban) August 2, 2021
The 6-foot-7, 190-pound forward showcased a growing skillset since first arriving at New Hampton as a sophomore. Karaban averaged 20 points and 8.8 rebounds in his first year with the Huskies and shined on a bigger stage, recently playing with Expressions Elite on the Nike EYBL circuit where he averaged 18.6 points and 7.1 rebounds.
“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,” New Hampton coach Andrew Gale said last year of his improvement as a leader. “He’s really grown as a leader, holding guys accountable.”
As his recruitment picked up over the years, Karaban decided between a list of offers from the likes of Northwestern, Penn State and Boston College. He offered his thoughts on the recruiting process last year.
“I’m just grateful for all the schools that reach out every time,” Karaban said. “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.”
With his recruiting process now done, Karaban believes his fit with the UConn basketball team will be an added bonus. The No. 45 player in his class, according to ESPN, becomes the third player to join Dan Hurley’s program after center Donovan Clingan and Corey Floyd committed earlier on.
“UConn was the spot just because my relationship with coach Hurley and everyone was just amazing,” Karaban told ESPN. “They felt like forever type of people. The opportunity I have there, the way they want to use me, staying home and playing for a historic program was so hard for me to pass up. The style of play they want to use me in, the way they develop and get their guys to become pros, like they just did with James Bouknight.”
Karaban will play his final high school season at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida after most recently playing at New Hampton School. IMG Academy has been a powerhouse nationally in the basketball world and will continue Karaban’s ascension against some of the elite talent.
