UConn stumbled into their post-Alex Karaban era Tuesday night, pulling out a 72-52 ‘win’ against Syracuse that was so rough it was described as “indecent exposure.” If this was a taste of mid-October basketball, Huskies fans might need to brace themselves, because while the scoreboard said ‘W’, the game itself was a messy slugfest of turnovers and fouls. Seriously, the aesthetic was barely tolerable.
The “Mr. Reliable” Void Is Real
Head Coach Dan Hurley didn’t pull any punches about what’s missing, saying he thought about “how bad it sucks to not have Alex” Karaban just a day earlier. And you gotta hear this quote, because it tells you everything: “The thing with AK was, just his seriousness, his preparation, his leadership, just his consistency – no matter how you felt about your team, you knew you always had Mr. Reliable. It’s a different type of feel with this team.” That hits hard. When your coach says it, you know it’s a huge shift. This UConn squad, designed for Final Four runs, is clearly in a different kind of transition without Karaban and Tarris Reed Jr.
New Blood, Old Problems (Mostly)
Now, it wasn’t *all* bad. We saw some flashes from the new guys who are supposed to pick up the slack. Nik Khamenia, the transfer from Duke, was active and made two huge 3-pointers. Na’jai Hines, coming over from Seton Hall, also brought some energy with two dunks in the first half and ended up with 17 points. These guys were stabilizing forces when the game was at its ugliest, helping the Huskies build a slim first-half lead and eventually find a “palatable flow.” And don’t forget the returning core: Silas Demary Jr., last year’s starter and the Big East preseason player of the year, Braylon Mullins, who was the story heading into last season’s Final Four, and senior Jayden Ross, a player who has truly waited and developed.
Syracuse, under first-year coach Gerry McNamara, is clearly rebuilding, but UConn’s roster, even with its new transfer portal additions and true freshmen, looked disjointed at times. They survived this exhibition, but the final score definitely didn’t tell the whole story. This team’s got a whole new vibe, and it’s clear they’re going to be a different challenge to figure out. Maybe when Solo Ball gets back from wrist surgery later this season, things will click even more. What a wild start to the season, right?
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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