"He's too smart for his own good": NCAA analyst drops truth bomb for UConn's Alex Karaban

College basketball analyst Rob Dauster dropped a truth bomb on UConn senior Alex Karaban ahead of the 2025-26 season.

In Monday's episode of the Field of 68 After Dark podcast with Fox Sports reporter and fellow NCAA hoops analyst John Fanta, Dauster felt the 6-foot-8 forward performs well when he reacts to the motions. However, the opposite goes for the Southborough, Massachusetts, native when he's getting open looks at the basket.

"He's too smart for his own good. Like he he thinks too much," Dauster said (13:42). "It was one of those things where when he was wide open and in a catch and shoot situation and he had an opportunity to like to think about what was about to happen, he was a mess."

Last season, Karaban went from being a complementary player in his first two seasons to a top offensive option for Dan Hurley's team. In 33 games, he averaged 14.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.5 steals per game.

He shot 43.8%, including 34.7% from the 3-point line. The forward was also excellent from the free-throw line, shooting 82.8%.

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John Fanta sees Alex Karaban as an X-factor for UConn's campaign in the 2025-26 season

Sports analyst John Fanta expects Alex Karaban to be an X-factor for UConn's campaign this season. The Fox Sports reporter said that the senior forward underwent a transition period where he stepped up as the Huskies' top offensive option from being a third or fourth wheel in his first two years.

Fanta felt that Karaban would be motivated by last year's debacle and work harder to help UConn come back to the Final Four and possibly win the championship for the third time in four seasons.

"He's been through it all. There's nothing that's going to faze that kid," Fanta said (14:28). He's one of the hardest-working players I've ever covered. And I'm intrigued to see what he does as a senior and how it all pans out."

After the Huskies' second-round exit in the 2025 NCAA Tournament, Karaban skipped the NBA draft in favor of returning for his senior year at UConn.

The forward posted on social media that he had unfinished business to settle, which is chasing another championship. Karaban will lead the Huskies' charge for his final season and he'll be backed up by a solid corps comprising Solo Ball, Silas Demary Jr, Malachi Smith and Braylon Mullins, among others.