The redshirt junior is still dealing with a head injury that he suffered in the final game of the Maui Invitational.
UConn men’s basketball head coach Dan Hurley told the media on Tuesday that star forward Alex Karaban will be out for the Huskies’ matchup with No. 15 Baylor on Wednesday at Gampel Pavilion.
Karaban, who also missed UConn’s blowout win over UMES on Saturday, fell and hit his head late in the Huskies’ eventual loss to Dayton in the Maui Invitational finale. Per Hearst Media’s Dave Borges, it’s possible Karaban is back in action for the Huskies road matchup against Texas on Sunday, Dec. 8.
Still issues from concussion. Doing ok, maybe Texas on Sunday. https://t.co/atmER0zAl3
— David Borges (@DaveBorges) December 3, 2024
Karaban’s absence marks a big blow for a UConn team in search of both a marquee win and a boost in morale. So far this season, the preseason All-American leads the Huskies in scoring at 15.9 points per game and is second in assists, all while shooting 46.8 percent from three.
Sophomore Jaylin Stewart slid into Karaban’s starting role against UMES and did his part, tying his career high with 16 points and adding seven rebounds. He’ll be relied upon again against Baylor to help fill Karaban’s absence on the offensive end and help defensively on the likes of VJ Edgecombe, Jalen Celestine and Norchad Omier.
While the Huskies stopped the three-game losing streak and took care of business against UMES, they have a crucial stretch of potential resumé-building games, beginning with Wednesday’s home game against the Bears, followed by a road game at Texas and a neutral site matchup versus No. 7 Gonzaga at Madison Square Garden. The Huskies currently are ranked No. 39 in NET and are 0-2 in Quadrant 1 games. so at least one win in this stretch is crucial to building the team’s NCAA Tournament credentials ahead of the start of Big East play.