Dan Hurley’s wife Andrea hyped as UConn star Alex Karaban announces decision to forgo the NBA draft

Alex Karaban is coming back to UConn, and Andrea Hurley couldn’t be happier. The Huskies forward announced on Instagram Tuesday that he will forgo the 2025 NBA draft to return for his final college season.

“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,” Karaban’s Instagram post read. “Let’s run it back one last time! #LastDance.”

Andrea Hurley, wife of UConn coach Dan Hurley, expressed her excitement about Karaban’s return in the comments.

“💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙,” Andrea commented.

Karaban had submitted his name to the NBA for the draft’s early-entry list and was most recently projected as the No. 35 draft prospect by ESPN. The forward likely would have been an early second round pick with potential to get drafted in the first round. Karaban has since withdrawn his name from the NBA draft for one last season with Hurley’s squad.

The impact of Alex Karaban’s return on Dan Hurley’s UConn squad

Karaban’s return for the 2025-26 season is a welcome relief for Hurley, who is losing a number of key playmakers. The Huskies lost four players to the transfer portal, including guard Aidan Mahaney, who appeared in all but one of UConn’s games in his sole season with the program.

UConn will also be without starters Hassan Diarra and Samson Johnson, who are out of college eligibility. With these roster changes, Karaban will provide some much-needed experience and leadership.

The star forward is a two-time national champion with the Huskies, and his Instagram post announcing his return makes it clear that the work isn’t yet over.

This past season wasn’t as successful for UConn as Karaban’s freshman and sophomore years, during which the team won back-to-back national titles. Hurley’s squad exited March Madness in the Round of 32. Still, Karaban’s skill set has been on the incline since his junior season.

The forward’s 14.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.5 blocks this season were all career highs. His assist and block numbers were second-best on the team. Karaban saw his shooting percentage drop from his first two seasons, something he will look to bounce back from as a senior.

Karaban will aim to further hone his skill set and help lead Hurley’s squad back to greatness in his senior season at UConn.

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alt=”Lindsey Ware” height=”72″ width=”72″>

Lindsey Ware is a college sports journalist at Sportskeeda with over five years of experience working with publications such as The News & Observer, The Daily Tar Heel, Triangle Tribune and Cardiac Cane. She has also worked for Major League Baseball, The Holly Springs Salamanders, The Tri-City Chili Peppers, Tuffy Talk, Super Meteors Basketball, Just Good Network and Living Sport.

Lindsey has a Bachelor’s Degree in Media and Journalism from UNC Chapel Hill. Her education allowed Lindsey to gain experience in sports communication, which she honed in internships. Other than being a storyteller and sports fanatic, Lindsey is also a social media and marketing specialist.

Her favorite college team is UNC, although she grew up a N.C. State fan as both of her parents are Wolfpack alumni. Michael Jordan was a huge deal in North Carolina when Lindsey was growing up, and after a summer spent at UNC’s Sports Journalism Camp back in high school, Lindsey was set on being a Tar Heel.

Lindsey’s favorite college coach of all time is Roy Williams. During her time attending UNC Chapel Hill and writing for The Daily Tar Heel, Lindsey was lucky enough to meet and speak with Williams a few times. He was like a celebrity on UNC’s campus and was beloved for his coaching style and success with the Tar Heels, accumulating three NCAA championship titles in 18 years.

When not watching or writing about sports, Lindsey enjoys reading, trying new restaurants and coffee shops, and spending time with my friends, family and dog. She also likes to journal, watch movies and paint.

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Edited by Satagni Sikder