IN PICS: UConn stars Alex Karaban and Samson Johnson celebrate graduation

The UConn Huskies had a middling season by their standards. They won their first round matchup against Oklahoma to advance and then nearly upset the eventual National Champion Florida Gators, narrowly losing 77-75. So, although they did not live up to the previous two seasons, when they won back-to-back National Championships, it was still a season to celebrate.

The Huskies had more reasons to celebrate after the season, as many of their players graduated and received their degrees. On Sunday, the UConn men's basketball Instagram posted several photos on Instagram of UConn stars Alex Karaban and Samson Johnson at their graduation ceremony.

"Our Guys!! Congratulations to the Class of 2025!"

Alex Karaban and Samson Johnson were both members of the Huskies' National Championship-winning teams in 2023 and 2024. This past season, they both played significant roles on the team. Alex Karaban, in particular, had a strong season, averaging 14.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, 28 assists, and 1.5 blocks per game in his third season playing for the team.

Samson Johnson played his fourth season with the Huskies this past season, but only his second getting significant playing time. He had his best season yet, averaging 7.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 1.0 assists, and 1.5 blocks per game.

What is next for UConn's Alex Karaban and Samson Johnson?

After the season, it appeared to be a strong possibility that neither Alex Karaban nor Samson Johnson would be back on the UConn Huskies next season. Both players had declared for the 2025 NBA draft. However, on April 29, Alex Karaban decided to pull out of the NBA draft. He announced on X that he will return to the Huskies for his final season of NCAA eligibility.

"The last few years have been transformational for me as a person and player. I am forever grateful to my coaching staff, my brothers, the fans, and the community at UConn for all of the memories we've made together. I pride myself on accepting challenging and holding myself to the highest standard."

Last year, we didn't achieve what we set out to, and I am not running from a chance to make that right! After deliberating the last few weeks with my coaches and family about my future, I've realized that my heart remains in Storrs, and I have unfinished business to chase another national championship with my brothers. Let's run it back one last time."

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Samson Johnson does not have the opportunity to return as he is out of NCAA eligibility. He was not invited to the NBA Combine, but is still generating a bit of buzz. He is scheduled for workouts with several NBA teams, including the Jazz, Lakers, Bucks, and Wizards.

About the author

Alexander O'Reilly is a journalist at Sportskeeda from Kingston, Ontario with over seven years in the field at companies including SenShot, RVBlogger, Monarch Media, WordAgents, GSeC LLC, and IGC.

His favorite college team is Duke, and his favorite sporting memory was Duke winning March Madness in 2010. JJ Redick was Alex's favorite college player when he was young but more recently, Caleb Williams gets the nod. As the Chicago Bears are Alex's favorite NFL team, this was a perfect match.

Alex's proudest moment came when he was interviewed by a radio station in Ottawa on his opinion on recent moves by the Ottawa Senators, which gave him a confidence boost and the knowledge that he could succeed as a writer.

Aside from sports, Alex likes to spend his time playing games. He is also very passionate about running and strives to improve at the half and full marathon distances.

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Edited by Alexander O'Reilly