Dan Hurley has strong comment about Alex Karaban not being preseason All-American

Feb 18, 2023; Storrs, Connecticut, USA; UConn Huskies head coach Dan Hurley watches from the sideline as they take on the Seton Hall Pirates at Harry A. Gampel Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

Nobody can ever accuse Dan Hurley of not having his players’ backs.

Hurley spoke with the media on Wednesday ahead of the start of the college basketball season. His UConn Huskies have won two national championships in a row, and Alex Karaban has returned to try to make it three.

Karaban averaged 13.3 points and 5.1 rebounds per game last season. He started in 39 of his team’s 40 games.

Hurley thinks his returning player deserves some special recognition, such as being a preseason All-American. On Wednesday, Hurley called out those who didn’t include Karaban on the list.

“Alex does a shi-ty job of drawing attention to himself. Maybe if he did more TikToks, he’d have solidified his All-American status. We value the wrong things in sports. We don’t value champions, but maybe that’s a societal issue,” Hurley said.

Hurley: “Alex does a shitty job of drawing attention to himself. Maybe if he did more TikToks, he’d have solidified his All-American status. We value the wrong things in sports. We don’t value champions, but maybe that’s a societal issue.” #UConn #BleedBlue

— Jaden Daly (@DalyDoseOfHoops) October 23, 2024

Karaban still was named to the preseason all-conference team for the Big East, so it’s not as if he’s lacking complete attention from the media. He also can go out and have a big season and end up being on the All-American teams at the end of the season, which is when it really counts. Plus what really matters most is how his team does. If he manages to win a third national championship in a row, he and Hurley will probably be satisfied.