STORRS – UConn men's basketball redshirt junior Alex Karaban (Southborough, Mass.) has been named to the Blue Ribbon Report 2024-25 Preseason All-America First Team, the yearbook announced this week.

The preseason accolades for Karaban come after the 6-8 forward started all but two games during the last two national championship campaigns. As a redshirt-sophomore in 23-24, Karaban made 39 starts and averaged 13.3 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game. The hyper-efficient wing shot 49.5 percent from the floor, 37.9 percent from 3-point range and 88.5 percent from the charity stripe.

As a freshman in 2022-23, Karaban appeared in all 39 contests and started 38, finishing with season averages of 9.3 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game while leading the national champions in total minutes. He was a six-time BIG EAST Freshman of the Week and a unanimous selection to the league's All-Freshman Team.

For his career, Karaban sits at 881 points and holds collegiate averages of 11.3 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game. In his 77 career starts UConn holds an overall record of 66-11 (.857 winning percentage).

It marks the second-straight season that the Huskies have placed a member on the Blue Ribbon preseason All-America team. Tristen Newton was a Third Team preseason selection before becoming a consensus First Team All-America pick in 2023-24.

2024-25 Blue Ribbon Report Preseason All-America Teams

First Team

Hunter Dickinson (Kansas), Alex Karaban (Connecticut), RJ Davis (North Carolina), Caleb Love (Arizona), Mark Sears (Alabama)

Second Team

Johni Broome (Auburn), Cooper Flagg (Duke), Wade Taylor IV (Texas A&M), Zakai Zeigler (Tennessee), Braden Smith (Purdue)

Third Team

Ryan Kalkbrenner (Creighton), Graham Ike (Gonzaga), Robbie Avila (Saint Louis), J'Wan Roberts (Houston), Tamin Lipsey (Iowa State)

Fourth Team

Oumar Ballo (Indiana), Great Osobor (Washington), Yaxel Lendeborg (UAB), Hunter Sallis (Wake Forest), LJ Cryer (Houston)