UConn star forward and captain Alex Karaban was one of 10 players named to the midseason watch list for the Karl Malone Award, which is presented annually to the best power forward in college basketball as part of the Naismith Starting Five.
The most accomplished active player in college basketball, the Huskies’ senior is averaging 13.3 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game this season with 21 steals and 21 blocks. He has shot 46.8% from the field and a career-best 40.8% from 3-point range as he’s led UConn to a 22-1 record on the year.
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The 6-foot-8, Southborough, Mass. native has scored in double-figures 16 times this year and recorded a team-high four 20-point games, including a 21-point effort on 8-for-11 shooting against BYU and a season-high 23 points in the overtime thriller at Providence.
UConn is 114-23 (.832) in Karaban’s career. The two-time national champion is one win shy of tying the program’s wins record, which was set by Samson Johnson last season. Karaban has started in 133 games over four years, two shy of the program record, and his 134 overall appearances are nine shy from the most in school history.
UConn Notes: Hurley flabbergasted his point guard was snubbed on this award watch list
He moved into 14th on UConn’s all-time scoring list with 1,660 career points, just four behind Cliff Robinson. He is fourth on the all-time 3-pointers list with 257 made, three shy of Shabazz Napier and 19 away from Rashad Anderson’s record 276. And his current 83.6% career mark from the free throw line is eighth all-time.
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“You talk about somebody with a different level of maturity, a different level of championship confidence,” coach Dan Hurley said in January, calling Karaban “the most decorated player in the history of UConn basketball.”
Karaban is joined on the Naismith Starting Five watch lists by Solo Ball, who was named one of the top 10 candidates for the Jerry West Shooting Guard Award on Tuesday. The Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center Award watch list will be released on Friday.
Karl Malone Award midseason watch list
Koa Peat, Arizona
Cameron Boozer, Duke
Graham Ike, Gonzaga
Joshua Jefferson, Iowa State
Malik Reneau, Miami
Yaxel Lendeborg, Michigan
Caleb Wilson, North Carolina
Trey Kaufman-Renn, Purdue
JT Toppin, Texas Tech
Alex Karaban, UConn
