The Sacramento Kings may have opened the season 0-5 after a 132-120 loss to the New Orleans Pelicans on Thursday night, but Alex Karaban still managed to carve out a small bright spot.
The former UConn standout, a first-round draft pick, logged 12 minutes and finished with six points. He added a steal and three turnovers, but the big moment came when he buried the first two 3-pointers of his NBA career. Those were also his first career field goals, since he had entered the night with just one point through his first four games.
Karaban’s UConn run was as decorated as they come. He spent four years in Storrs, an increasingly rare stretch of continuity in college basketball, and left as the winningest player in Huskies history. He was part of two national championship teams and three squads that reached the title game.
His résumé at UConn was loaded with volume and consistency too. Karaban appeared in 151 games and started 150 of them, both program records.
He averaged 12.5 points per game for his career, including 13.2 last season, while shooting 37.4 percent from beyond the arc. He was a two-time All-Big East selection and made the All-NCAA Tournament team a year ago.
Before his college career was officially complete, Karaban was already immortalized in the program’s “Huskies of Honor,” a fitting capstone for a player who leaves behind a lasting mark.
Now the challenge shifts to Sacramento. The Kings’ reputation around the league isn’t exactly flattering, and Karaban is walking into an uphill climb. But there’s a built-in opportunity here too: as the season goes on and Sacramento sits or moves players, more minutes could open up for him.
Back in Storrs, the current Huskies are set to begin their 2026-27 season on Monday night at 9 p.m. ET against Gardner-Webb at PeoplesBank Arena in Hartford. After a 3-0 regular season, they should be favored comfortably, though Dan Hurley will still want to see his team sharpen up and keep growing from what it showed in the preseason.
In Other News...
UConn Heads Into A Road Test That Could Expose A Lot
A late-October trip to Colorado Springs already asks plenty of a visiting team, and UConn is staring at a road game that could reveal a lot about where it stands. The Huskies will face Air Force on Oct. 31, with Jason Candle spent time this week discussing how to blunt the Falcons run game and how the altitude adds another layer to the challenge.
Air Forces quarterback situation only adds to the uncertainty for UConn, which will have to prepare for a different look than usual and make quick adjustments once the game starts. For Candle and his staff, the bigger test may be handling all the variables at once: the Falcons option-heavy identity, a crowded quarterback room and the thin air that makes every series feel a little longer than the last. [Read more 🡒]
UConn Defense Faces Its Toughest Test At The Perfect Time
Jason Candle sounded pleased with the way UConn handled UMass, but his message this week was less about celebration than repetition. The Huskies have leaned on fundamentals and defensive discipline, and that approach has helped them become sturdier against the run as they get ready for a very different kind of opponent.
Air Force brings the sort of challenge that can expose every missed assignment, with a rushing-heavy attack that demands patience, leverage and constant attention to detail. UConns defensive players say they like the aggressive mindset theyve built, and this week will show whether that edge holds up when the pressure shifts from stopping a conventional ground game to dealing with one of the toughest looks in college football. [Read more 🡒]
UConn May Be Early On A Frontcourt Target Worth Watching
Jack Thelens recruiting picture has changed quickly this fall, and UConn is at least in the mix early for a frontcourt prospect worth monitoring. The four-star center in the Class of 2027 had previously committed to Wisconsin in June before backing off that pledge in mid-October, and he has since made a visit to Storrs as schools around the country reassess where they stand with the big man.
For UConn, the intrigue is less about a finished deal than about getting involved before the market gets louder. There is no public record of an offer from the Huskies yet, but Thelens profile suggests he will draw plenty of attention as his recruitment resets, especially with another Big East program already landing a prized center in Lewis Uvwo, whose commitment to Providence set a new high-water mark for that program's recruiting. [Read more 🡒]