UConn's Dan Hurley Describes Coaching Alex Karaban: 'It's Like Cheating'

Karaban showed out during the Huskies' season opener, and his head coach loved it

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Of all the quality performances from UConn’s 92-56 opening night win over Sacred Heart, none stood out more than Alex Karaban’s masterclass.

The junior forward played beautiful basketball on both ends of the floor, and his head coach Dan Hurley certainly appreciated it. Hurley praised Karaban during the postgame presser.

“I just think in games like this great players, high-level players, guys that are ready for the season to start, you know, Alex played like an All-American,” Hurley said.

“He played like a Big East Player of the Year type. Nine shots, 20 points, seven assists, seven blocks, six rebounds. Kept us organized.”

Karaban’s seven blocks were a career-high. His timing was on-point all night long defensively, and at certain points, it seemed like Sacred Heart players had no chance to score at the rim with Karaban roaming, not to mention UConn’s big men Tarris Reed Jr. and Samson Johnson.

Hurley applauded Karaban’s basketball IQ during the presser, explaining that having a player like Karaban is like having a coach on the floor.

“Just where his brain -- how his brain processes, the principles of where to be defensively and how to play angles and how to get vertical, and he did it without committing a foul. It's just like really, really -- just his basketball brain, you know, and his discipline and obviously his experience. It's like having another coach on the court. It's like cheating.”

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