UConn's Alex Karaban to miss important Baylor showdown
12/03/2024 06:20 PM
After losing three straight games at the Maui Invitational, the two-time defending men’s basketball national champion UConn Huskies desperately need a big win. If that win is to come on Wednesday night against Baylor, however, it will have to be without team leader Alex Karaban.
Karaban suffered a concussion during the Huskies’ loss to the Dayton Flyers last Wednesday and missed UConn’s first game back on the mainland on Saturday against Maryland Eastern Shore. The Huskies cruised to victory anyway, but facing the Bears is a different animal.
UConn men’s basketball coach Dan Hurley met with the media on Tuesday as he typically does the day before a game and he gave an update on his junior NBA Draft prospect.
“[He’s] still not feeling quite himself,” Hurley said. “[He feels] better today but not well enough to get out of that… protocol. Not sure about the weekend.”
Through seven games played, Karaban is averaging 15.9 points per game and is shooting a blistering 47% from three. Despite its lackluster 5-3 record, UConn has still been one of the best offensive teams in the country this year, but players like freshman Liam McNeeley and sophomore Solo Ball will need to do more to make up for Karaban’s absence.
Similar to UConn, Baylor excels on offense and struggles on defense. The Bears are also dealing with an injury concern of their own, though theirs seems more promising. Freshman VJ Edgecombe is battling a hamstring injury after only playing 11 minutes in Baylor’s most recent game against New Orleans. Head coach Scott Drew told CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein that Edgecomb is “progressing nicely and hopes to be available” against the Huskies.
If UConn can’t turn in a winning performance at home against Baylor in the Big East-Big 12 Battle, its next opportunity will come on Sunday in Austin against Texas. But after missing several major opportunities in Maui, the Huskies are running out of chances for a major non-conference win.
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