UCONN’s Alex Karaban gets emotional speech from teammate after win

The UConn Huskies achieved a close win over Seton Hall on Saturday, following an emotional pre-game presentation for four-year Huskies star Alex Karaban.

Before the Big East game, Karaban had his jersey retired and hung in the rafters at Gampel Pavilion in Storrs, Connecticut, alongside other UConn greats, including Ray Allen, Richard “Rip” Hamilton, Emeka Okafor, and Donyell Marshall. That moment in itself had Karaban in tears as he celebrated the moment, hugging his coach, Dan Hurley.

However, he had work to do after that, and the Pirates certainly put Karaban and UConn to a test, leading by as many as eight points in the second half, and seeming to have UConn on the ropes late.

Read more: UConn’s Dan Hurley Sends Clear Message on Taris Reed Jr. for NCAA Tournament

Karaban led the Huskies with a 23-point performance, which may have been his best performance offensively of the season. He connected on five of his six three-point shots and filled up his stat line with three rebounds, two assists, two steals, and two blocks on his big day.

Teammate Solo Ball scored 14 points, including clutch free throws, as he was just 2-of-9 from the floor and 8-of-10 at the stripe.

Taris Reed Jr., also a senior at UConn, contributed 10 points and grabbed 11 rebounds following his massive performance against St. John’s earlier in the week. Fittingly, UConn’s starting center delivered an emotional speech to honor Karaban at center court after the 71-67 victory.

“I appreciate you guys coming out here for a special night for my guy AK,” Reed said, adding, “On behalf of the men’s basketball program, we just want to shout out this special guy.”

“I mean, this guy’s an everyday guy, one of the most unique basketball players, teammates, and people I’ve ever met in my life, so such a special moment to have him at his last game. You see how emotional he is. He put so much into this program. Shout out my guy AK, I love you, bro,” Reed told a teary-eyed Karaban.

The win moved No. 6 UConn to 27-3 overall and likely helped them hold on to one of the NCAA Tournament’s No. 1 seeds. They’ll have a final game at Marquette before the Big East Tournament begins at New York City’s Madison Square Garden.

UConn is considered among the contenders for the championship, but is not as heavily favored in odds as teams such as the Michigan Wolverines, Duke Blue Devils, or Arizona Wildcats.

While the Huskies possess a talented roster overall, they’ll likely need additional performances like Karaban’s in his role as the team’s leader, having won two championships under Hurley in previous seasons.

Read more: UConn Huskies Announce Major Braylon Mullin News Before St. John’s Clash

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