Four-star forward Alex Karaban commits to UConn men’s basketball

UConn’s already great 2022 recruiting class just got even better. On Monday, Dan Hurley and the Huskies landed a commitment from Alex Karaban, a top-50 prospect in the 2022 class according to ESPN. The 6-foot-7 forward chose UConn over offers from Stanford, Iowa, and Creighton.

Karaban is a Northborough, Massachusetts native who garnered New Hampshire Gatorade Player of the Year honors this past season at the New Hampton School, where he averaged 25.8 points and 8.7 rebounds per game and earned league MVP honors. Karaban will play his senior season at IMG Academy in Florida, the same high school that produced former national champion DeAndre Daniels.

With Karaban’s commitment, the Huskies now own one of the best recruiting classes in the Class of 2022. Karaban joins four-star recruits Corey Floyd and Donovan Clingan in the 2022 class, one that already ranked sixth nationally according to 247 before Karaban’s commitment. The addition of the skilled forward should only push the ranking even higher.

Karaban is a smart and skilled modern big man who is not afraid to push the pace on his own if needed. He boasts exceptional footwork and is widely regarded as an above-average 3-point shooter. While he is not an elite athlete, his high basketball IQ allows him to rebound well on both ends and take what the defense gives him offensively.

With a unique skillset that offers quality shooting, rebounding, occasional ball handling and decent size and length without elite athleticism, Karaban is one of the most hotly-contested recruits in the Class of 2022. While Rivals has Karaban as a three-star recruit ranked 141st nationally, ESPN is much higher on Karaban, rating him as a four-star recruit and coming in at 45 in their top 150. In 247Sport’s composite rankings, Karaban is a four-star recruit and ranks 88th nationally.

Karaban was also a participant in the inaugural College Basketball Academy, which took place in Storrs in 2019.