Southboro's Alex Karaban wins second straight NCAA championship with UConn Huskies
BOSTON -- UConn Huskies forward Alex Karaban didn't put up big numbers in Monday night's NCAA championship game against Purdue. But the sophomore from Southboro did what he does best as the Huskies won their second straight title: A whole lot of everything.
On a UConn team loaded with talent, Karaban was the glue guy that helped hold it all together. He's plenty talented himself, as he showed in Storrs over the last two years, but UConn had plenty of other avenues to get their points.
All 7-foot-2 of Donovan Clingan held things down in the paint for the Huskies. The dangerous backcourt of Tristen Newton and Cam Spencer hit plenty of backbreaking shots. And freshman Stephon Castle rounded into form late in the season to become a dangerous two-way player for UConn.
So Karaban made his living getting some grime under his fingernails and taking care of the dirty work for UConn. If he needed to box out a bigger player, he was more than game. If the Huskies needed a three, he'd be ready to let one fly. And if that three wasn't open for himself, he'd make the extra pass to find an open man.
Karaban was the most unselfish player on a team comprised of unselfish players, ready and willing to do whatever head coach Dan Hurley asked of him.
On Monday night in the championship game, that included setting high screens to spring UConn's shooters. He was asked to bump with Purdue big man Zach Edey when rebounds were in the air, and in the second half when Clingan and bouncy backup Samson Johnson were both dealing with foul trouble, Karaban was asked to guard the two-time NCAA Player of the Year as the Huskies went small.
No matter the task, Karaban delivered. Though he scored just five points, connecting on only two of his seven shots overall and just one of six from 3-point range, Karaban had an incredible defensive game that helped the Huskies stymie Purdue throughout. Edey was in a rhythm early but was quickly gassed by UConn's stifling and aggressive defense. When it was time for Karaban to do his best against the Purdue giant, who stands eight inches taller than Karaban, he was able to stand his ground. Aided by timely double teams that Hurley kept in his back pocket until the second half, Karaban and the Huskies kept the big man flustered over the final 20 minutes.
Edey scored 21 of his 37 points in the second half, but they were fairly meaningless points. He missed his first three shots out of the break, allowing the Huskies to build their lead from six points to a baker's dozen by the under-12 timeout. Half of Edey's makes in the second half came in the final five minutes while UConn was milking the clock to preserve its 15-point edge. Thanks to the hard-nosed defense of Clingan, Johnson, and a guest appearance by Karaban, Edey was a non-factor over the final 20 minutes of the game.
It culminated in a 75-60 win for UConn and the first back-to-back titles for any school since the Florida Gators did so in 2006 and 2007. For the second straight year, Karaban's season ended with a confetti shower and the forward adding some more nylon to his collection.
Last year's title run was somewhat surprising and unexpected. This year, the Huskies came into the season the favorites to cut down the nets in Phoenix, and they pretty much ran college hoops wire to wire. They won both the Big East regular season title and conference tournament, and set a new NCAA Tournament record by outscoring opponents by 140 points in bracket action. They never trailed by more than five points in any of their tournament games.
Once this Huskies squad got rolling, there was no stopping them. And Karaban was a big part in getting that unstoppable force in motion. UConn overcame losing starters Adama Sanogo, Jordan Hawkins, and Andre Jackson Jr. from last year thanks in large part to Karaban taking an even bigger leadership role.
With back-to-back titles and nothing left to prove in college basketball, Karaban's next move will likely find him in the NBA. He was a projected first-round pick before UConn demolished the NCAA tournament and should see his draft stock rise over the coming months.
Karaban was not a flashy player during his two years at UConn, but he was always one of the smartest and most unselfish players on the floor. He'll soon have a pair of championship rings to show just how important he was to the UConn Huskies over a short period of time.
