What happened to Alex Karaban? Know more about UConn star’s injury as Dan Hurley and Co’s woes pile on
Alex Karaban was cleared to fly back to UConn after suffering a head injury during the Maui Invitational seventh-place game against Dayton, a team spokesman said on Thursday.
Karaban's head hit hard on the floor after he was fouled with about 2-1/2 minutes left in a game on Wednesday. The UConn forward was sent to a hospital for further testing and was placed under concussion protocol, per Fox Sports.
The 6-foot-8 player flew home with the Huskies squad. It remains to be seen whether he'll suit up in Saturday's game against Maryland Eastern Shore or sit it out to follow the protocol.
Karaban scored a team-high 21 points on 7-of-15 shooting from the field, including 4-of-8 from the 3-point area. He buried a triple that gave the Huskies a 30-27 edge but Dayton used a 14-4 closing run to take a 41-34 halftime lead.
The forward is the team's leading scorer, averaging 15.9 points per game. If he gets clearance to play against Maryland Eastern Shore, Dan Hurley would start him as a power forward.
If Karaban doesn't get a medical clearance, Hurley can pick between 6-foot-7 forwards Jaylin Stewart and Jayden Ross as the starting power forward.
The back-to-back champion coach could also opt to play small ball with Liam McNeeley starting at power forward and give Aidan Mahaney a spot start alongside guards Solo Ball and Hassan Diarra.
Alex Karaban's injury is among the issues UConn needs to address when it goes back to Storrs
The extent of Alex Karaban's injury would be one of the issues UConn needs to address when it prepares for a Saturday game against Maryland Eastern Shore.
The No. 2 seeds were sailing smoothly in the first four games, winning all of them by wide margins. However, things changed when they went to Hawaii, as they suffered a controversial 99-97 loss to Memphis in the opener.
The Huskies were relegated to the seventh-place game after absorbing a 73-72 loss to Colorado.
Against Dayton, UConn took a first-half lead but they quickly surrendered it due to a back-breaking run to end the half for the Flyers. The Huskies cut it down to three but their foes waxed hot in the latter part of the second half to earn the win.
Five-star freshman Liam McNeeley's consistency is also in question. He has proven that he can score 15, 18 or 20 points on any night, but not sustainably.
In the game against Dayton, McNeeley failed to score, a day after dropping 20 points against Colorado.
Another issue moving forward is the Huskies' propensity to commit more than 20 fouls. In the three losses, to Memphis, Colorado and Dayton, UConn was called for a total of 74 fouls, which allowed these teams to attempt 98 free throws.
If they could defend the ball without fouling, the Huskies would have a great chance of turning it around. This would be just like the previous two seasons when they peaked at the right time and won the national titles.
Will Alex Karaban play for UConn on Saturday against Maryland Eastern Shore? Let us know your insights in the comments section below.