UConn’s Maui Horrors Forces Alex Karaban to Make an Unexpected Future Commitment

“It was my first concussion, I didn’t really know what was going on,” Alex Karaban said after the disaster that was Maui. The UConn Huskies star has just come back to the court after missing two games, right after losing three consecutive games at the Maui Invitational. The coach went viral for his sideline antics but Karaban, already reeling from three straight losses after winning the NCAA championship twice in as many seasons, had a fuzzy head situation going on. His new resolution? No more Hawaii.

On the Connecticut Scoreboard podcast, Karaban tells host Jared Kotler, “My first thought was, ‘I’m never going back to Maui.’ So I’ll never be going back to Hawaii, whether that’s next year or in 30 years, if I have a family trip growing up, or if I have kids and they say they wanna go to Hawaii. We’re not going. No more Hawaii for me.”

It was in the last game against Dayton when a foul led Karaban to a hard fall. Although he didn’t leave the game, the UConn junior did have to be placed on the concussion protocol later and sent to a local Maui hospital for further evaluation. Fortunately, he was able to travel home with his teammates without having to overstay, although it was not all cheery when he did come back home.

“In seriousness it was tough,” Karaban said on the podcast. “It was extremely tough because obviously, the week that we had was awful and all I really wanted to do was be there with the boys and help turn the corner, help turn the page. And I did everything in my power to make it. I knew Saturday was going to be impossible for me to play.”

He missed two games, Baylor and Maryland Eastern Shore, but the Huskies managed to win nevertheless. “The doctors, James our trainer – I respected their decision as much as I was hurt by it. But it was a tough time. That was my first concussion too so I didn’t really know what was going on.”

Already reeling from losses and then losing their leader, another thing the Huskies had to contend with was the rising media attention on Dan Hurley’s outburst against the officials. However, Karaban couldn’t help but defend his coach.

No matter what, Alex Karaban is a Dan Hurley fan

When the basketball world was busy being horrified with the state of the reigning champions in Maui, Dan Hurley was busy taking it out on the refs for bad calls. His blowout of volcanic proportions was shared all across social media, with criticism pouring in. Understandably, Alex Karaban did not see the backlash first hand while he was busy recovering.

But he did tell Jared Kotler on the podcast, “Whatever they were saying, I did hear that it did get blown out of proportion just with my friends… He’s passionate. He’s energetic on the sidelines, as he’s always been, and he just cares about winning. If he sees something he doesn’t like, he’s going to protect his guys and make sure we get a fair shake. If other teams or people don’t like how a coach manages things, that’s on them.”

Basically, no matter what mud you hurl on coach Hurley’s name, his players will be there to support him. His intensive and passionate ways might take some getting used to but once you know him like the Huskies do, he clearly earns your loyalty. And it goes both ways because no matter what, the coach will protect his players too!