MBB: Top Recruit Enrolls Early
UConn basketball recruit Alex Karaban accelerated his graduation from IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) and has enrolled at UConn for the 2021-22 second semester, joining the basketball team immediately.
Karaban, a 6-8, 210-pound forward from Northborough, Mass., is not expected to participate in collegiate competition during the 2021-22 season, but he can practice and travel with the Huskies.
Karaban will follow the same path as current UConn redshirt junior Akok Akok, who enrolled at UConn for the second semester in 2018-19, but did not play in any games and made an immediate impact as a redshirt freshman in 2019-20. UConn currently has freshman guard Corey Floyd Jr. taking a redshirt season this year.
Karaban, who went to IMG Academy after two years at New Hampton (N.H.) School, was a consensus Top 50 recruit and was named the Gatorade New Hampshire Player of the Year last season after averaging 25.8 points, 8.7 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1.9 blocks and shooting 60.3 percent to lead New Hampton to the New England Prep School Athletic Council Class AAA tournament championship. He was named MVP of the title game.
He also played for Expressions Elite on the AAU circuit and averaged 18.4 points, 7.4 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.6 blocks and earned selection to the All-Peach Jam Second Team.
Karaban, along with Floyd and 7-2 center Donovan Clingan (Bristol, Conn.), were originally ranked as a Top 10 recruiting class for UConn before Floyd and now Karaban elected to enroll early at UConn.
