Few players in recent college basketball history have embodied sustained excellence and winning quite like University of Connecticut men's basketball star Alex Karaban. Over the course of four seasons in Storrs, the UConn forward has not only been a cornerstone of one of the sport’s modern dynasties but has also carved out a legacy that places him among the all-time greats in program history. A two-time national champion (2023, 2024), the winningest player in UConn men's basketball history, and the first active player ever inducted into the Huskies of Honor, Karaban’s impact has gone far beyond the box score.
From his emergence as a key contributor on two National Championship teams to his evolution into a First Team All-Big East selection in 2026, Karaban has consistently delivered on the biggest stages. His jersey retirement while still an active player (the first ever men's basketball player to receive this honor) speaks to the rare combination of longevity, leadership, and winning he has brought to the program—hallmarks of a career defined by consistency and championship pedigree. His No. 11 jersey hangs in the rafters at Gampel Pavilion forever.
Now, as March Madness 2026 approaches, Karaban is taking his game-day routine off the court as well. The UConn star has teamed up with Great Clips for a new campaign aimed at helping fans look and feel their best during college basketball’s biggest month. Beginning March 18 through April 3, fans can register for a $12.99 haircut coupon at GreatClips.com/MarchMadness, part of a broader initiative featuring fellow college standouts Braden Smith of Purdue and Gabriela Jaquez of UCLA.
In an exclusive interview with ClutchPoints, Karaban reflects on his historic career at UConn, his relationship with head coach Dan Hurley, the culture that defines Huskies basketball, and his excitement for another run at March glory.
This interview has been edited for clarity and length.
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Rob Lepelstat: Pleased to be joined by one of the stars of UConn men's basketball, two-time National Champion, first team All-Big East, the winningest player in UConn men's basketball history, and the newest member of the Huskies of Honor. Alex, appreciate the time here before the start of NCAA Tournament week. How are you doing today?
Alex Karaban: I've been good. How are you?
RL: Doing well. We'll get to the NCAA Tournament in just a second, but you're partnering with Great Clips for their new campaign for March Madness, promoting $12.99 haircuts. It's a pretty good price to me! What has the experience been like working with Great Clips on this campaign?
AK: It's an amazing experience. I mean, Great Clips came to me, and I felt like it was a perfect partnership just with who I am as a person, the values that I have. I want to look my best. When I look my best, I feel great, and I want to feel great. And when I feel great, I play my best. So, no better time for that than in March Madness. And, like you said, go to GreatClips.com/MarchMadness, get a 12.99 haircut coupon, helps you save a lot of money to ultimately make you look your best and feel your best.
RL: Walk me through the experience of working with them and how nice it has been to get these really cool haircuts going into March Madness!
AK: They give me the ultimate assist. I play better because of them, just because I feel great. So Great Clips helps me out with that. And we have one right near campus, too. So it's super easy for us UConn students. So it's been awesome. Everyone there is super easy to work with. Everyone's super friendly. I have the most respect for them. And I mean, I've been to Great Clips since I was a kid. So I was a kid going to Great Clips, and to have a partnership with them is something I never thought would happen. So it's been awesome.
RL: Fantastic. So, obviously, March Madness starting this week. You have done this before. You've been here and done that, winning two National Championships. What makes playing in March Madness different than anything else in sports?
AK: I think it's the most fun time of the year. You dream of playing in March Madness. Every team deserves a chance to be in it. And everyone's earned their right when you hear your name called on Selection Sunday. So there's no tournament like it. I mean, the anticipation that the entire country, the entire world has for a tournament, like March Madness, is special. And really, anything could happen in March. You've seen it throughout the entire history of it. And it's what we dream of when we grow up. We're watching college basketball. We all dream of being a part of it. So for it to be here now, it's awesome.
RL: Do you have any memories growing up of watching those Kemba Walker or Shabazz Napier UConn teams? Take me back to being a kid watching UConn growing up!
AK: That's kind of why I fell in love with UConn is watching Shabazz [Napier] hit big-time shots or Kemba [Walker] go through that crazy stretch in the Big East Tournament and then winning the National Championship. So there's been so many runs, and as a local kid too from Massachusetts, I've grown up watching UConn a bunch, and it's really felt like the dream school for me just with how local it was, but also seeing those legends make such big-time shots and win National Championships.
RL: Take me back to Senior Day. It was obviously a very special moment for you with Coach Hurley. You're looking up there, your #11 jersey hanging in the rafters. What were the emotions you were feeling as that moment was going on with you and your coach?
AK: It was emotional for me. I mean, I'm not someone who's typically an emotional person. I'm not a crier, none of that. So for me, just to break down with my family by my side, but also Coach Hurley, who's changed my life completely. It was an emotional day for me, and it's something that I'll never forget. Being up there in the Huskies of Honor, too, with all those legendary names, it's something I never thought would happen when I first stepped foot on campus. And to have done that now and to be up there in that category, it means the world to me. So, you know, I just want to finish strong. I want to finish my career strong at UConn and really then take a backseat and really look back at everything that's happened.
RL: You kind of touched on it there a little bit, but Coach Hurley said he'll never coach another Alex Kaliban. How do you describe the special bond between you and your coach?
AK: Yeah, I mean, he's been the most influential person in my life. Just when I first stepped on campus, he always checked in on me, always made sure that I was okay. And our relationship grew from there. He's the best coach, and the intensity, the passion that he has, he's going to make you a better player and really make you ready for any stage out there. And for us to go through the highs of championships and the lows of losing games that we wish we had back, I think it's grown a lot to where I know what he wants out there on the court.
I know what he expects in the locker room. I know what the standard is, and it's my job to translate that and try to make his life so much easier out there on the court. And I mean, it's a relationship I'll cherish forever, and just who he is as a person off the court, to just the impact that he's had on my life, just the off-court habits that I've learned from him. He's just, there's a lot of words I could say about him, but ultimately, he changed my life.
RL: When you reflect on all the legends that have played for UConn, for you to be the winningest player in men's basketball history, how do you put that into perspective?
AK: It's hard to put it into perspective. I mean, you have all these legends that came through, and I'm the one at top. Like, it's crazy. It's crazy. And it’s credit to my teammates, amazing teammates that are in the pros now or still teammates with me, and obviously the coaches that helped me reach that point. But to do it at a place like you kind of think is special. Just like you said, the legends that we have, the rich history that we have, and it's a brand that everyone, when you see the Husky, everyone knows how special and legendary UConn is.
RL: Describe the brotherhood of UConn, the former players, current players. Take me through that UConn brotherhood, both past and present.
AK: There's a true brotherhood that happens. All the former players come back. They always want to come back, watch a game, talk to us.
RL: I saw [Donovoan] Clingan watching you guys. One of many!
AK: Yep, Clingan was there on Saturday. You had Rip Hamilton there during the Big East Tournament, and they're just talking to us. I mean, I was able to talk to DC for a little bit after the tough loss that we had. And then I seen Rip talk to us for a little bit throughout the Big East Tournament. So they're all special. They always want to see UConn succeed. They want to see us honor the jersey the right way, and they all miss UConn, and they all wish they had time back here. So, just always want us to cherish those moments.
RL: You guys start your run on Friday against Furman. Just your thoughts on the team going into March Madness, and obviously a tough loss against St. John's over the weekend in the Big East Championship.
AK: Yeah, we got to sit with the pain. Obviously disappointing that we didn't play our best basketball and missed out on a championship that we wanted. We had championship goals since the summer. We missed out on it. So there's obviously going to be pain. There's going to be disappointment. We've got to learn from the game, but we've got to move on.
I mean, every team you play in March Madness made it for a reason. Furman's a really good team. They got a high-powered offense, and it's something that we got to be ready for. So we can't let what happened on Saturday define who we are as a team this season. We've just got to look forward to the opportunity that we have.
RL: What has been the message from Coach to turn the switch from what happened in the Big East tournament to now going to the NCAA tournament?
AK: I think you got to first realize the success that we had in the non-conference. We've had, I think, the best non-conference schedule in the country and played every team tough. And I mean, including Arizona, too, the one game that we lost, we were missing two starters. So, just finding confidence in the non-conference that we had. And also realizing we are still a 29-win team. Like we're 29-5, and people are talking about us as if we're not. So, having confidence in that and really making sure that we know how good of a team we are and really carry that forward.
RL: Alex, appreciate the time. Best of luck this weekend.
AK: Thank you so much. I appreciate it.
Rob Lepelstat is an experienced sports media professional with over 7+ years in content creation, editorial, social media, reporting/interviewing, etc. His work has been featured in USA Today, Yahoo Sports, Bleacher Report, and more. Check out more of his interviews, including Jay-Z, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Lawrence Taylor, Derek Jeter, Ice Cube, “Dr. J” Julius Erving, Drew Brees, and Livvy Dunne here.
