UConn: Alex Karaban posts heartfelt message for Huskies as UConn star makes NBA draft decision: “My heart remains in Storrs”

Alex Karaban has made a big decision about his future. The UConn Huskies forward will forgo the 2025 NBA draft and return for his senior season. He announced it on Instagram on Tuesday.

"After deliberating the last few weeks with my coaches and family about my future, I've realized that my heart remains in Storrs, and I have unfinished business to chase another national championship with my brothers," Karaban's Instagram post read. "Let's run it back one last time! #LastDance."

Karaban initially submitted his name to the early-entry list for the NBA draft and was projected as the No. 35 prospect in ESPN's latest NBA Draft rankings. However, Karaban has changed his mind about his basketball future, withdrawing his name from the NBA draft to return to UConn.

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Alex Karaban's return a good news for Dan Hurley

This is good news for Dan Hurley as he looks ahead to next season. Four Huskies players have entered the transfer portal, including Aidan Mahaney, who appeared in 34 of UConn's 35 games this season. Starters Hassan Diarra and Samson Johnson have exhausted their eligibility.

With some key pieces missing, Alex Karaban's return will provide stability and leadership to Hurley's UConn squad.

Karaban is already a two-time national champion, but he believes he still has something to prove at UConn. In the age of the transfer portal, Karaban will be a rare example of a player who spends the entirety of their college career at one school.

The forward has served as a three-year starter for the Huskies, winning back-to-back national championships in 2023 and 2024. After winning his second consecutive national title, Karaban entered his name in the 2024 NBA draft. He attended the NBA combine but ultimately decided to return to UConn.

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The Huskies didn't experience the same level of success this past season. After an up-and-down regular season that ended with the team at third in the Big East standings, UConn received the No. 8 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Hurley's squad won its Round of 64 matchup before narrowly falling to top-ranked Florida in the second round. The Gators went on to win the title.

Despite UConn's disappointing season end, Karaban continued to hone his skills. His 14.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.5 blocks were all career highs, with his assist and block totals ranking second on the team. The forward's shooting percentage dropped slightly from the previous season, but he still averaged 43.8%, including 34.7% from beyond the arc.

Karaban will put on the Huskies uniform for one last season as he chases the third national championship of his college career.

About the author

Lindsey Ware is a college sports journalist at Sportskeeda with over five years of experience working with publications such as The News & Observer, The Daily Tar Heel, Triangle Tribune and Cardiac Cane. She has also worked for Major League Baseball, The Holly Springs Salamanders, The Tri-City Chili Peppers, Tuffy Talk, Super Meteors Basketball, Just Good Network and Living Sport.

Lindsey has a Bachelor’s Degree in Media and Journalism from UNC Chapel Hill. Her education allowed Lindsey to gain experience in sports communication, which she honed in internships. Other than being a storyteller and sports fanatic, Lindsey is also a social media and marketing specialist.

Her favorite college team is UNC, although she grew up a N.C. State fan as both of her parents are Wolfpack alumni. Michael Jordan was a huge deal in North Carolina when Lindsey was growing up, and after a summer spent at UNC’s Sports Journalism Camp back in high school, Lindsey was set on being a Tar Heel.

Lindsey's favorite college coach of all time is Roy Williams. During her time attending UNC Chapel Hill and writing for The Daily Tar Heel, Lindsey was lucky enough to meet and speak with Williams a few times. He was like a celebrity on UNC’s campus and was beloved for his coaching style and success with the Tar Heels, accumulating three NCAA championship titles in 18 years.

When not watching or writing about sports, Lindsey enjoys reading, trying new restaurants and coffee shops, and spending time with my friends, family and dog. She also likes to journal, watch movies and paint.

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Edited by Krutik Jain