For the third time in four seasons, Dan Hurley, Alex Karaban, and the UConn Huskies are in the national championship as they battle Michigan on Monday night at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
The senior forward is looking to make history; if UConn can defeat Michigan, Karaban would be the first non-UCLA player to win three championships in four seasons, which would mean a lot to him.
“Yeah, it means a lot,” Karaban said. “You dream of being on this stage one time, and to be heading into it for a third time, it’s a blessing. It’s the reason why I came back. It’s the reason why I’ve had extremely hard decisions to make throughout my career. I’ve always wanted to come back to win, to win championships, and to leave a legacy that’s unmatched in college basketball.”
According to Karaban, once UConn won back-to-back titles, everyone put a bull’s-eye on the team’s back.
“Yeah, ever since we went back to back, we’ve always had a target on our back, and what Coach has done bringing this brand back to the national level and really a target for everybody, everyone is excited when they play UConn, and that happened ever since we went back to back. So making sure that we’re the hunted and just realizing that every time someone steps into this program, knowing what they’re stepping into and what it means to wear the UConn jersey.”
When it comes to the Huskies, it’s a team effort. They have five players who average in double figures, all starters, and they defend at a high level, holding Illinois to 34% shooting on Saturday. Against Michigan, they are going to need that type of defensive effort if they want to take home their third title in four seasons. If they can do it, in this era of NIL and one-and-done, it would truly be impressive.
Leave a Reply