University of Connecticut forward Alex Karaban (11) collides with Texas Longhorns guard Tre Johnson (20) during the game at the Moody Center on Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024. / Aaron E. Martinez/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
On Sunday afternoon, the Connecticut Huskies traveled to the Moody Center in Austin, Texas to take on the Longhorns in a game that featured two transcendent performances from each team's star. UConn won the game, 76-65, despite an impressive second-half comeback from Texas, following a completely dominant Husky first half where they led 42-24 going into the break.
The 18-point lead began to dissipate as Texas made a change at point guard, substituting Julian Larry, a true lead initiator and offensive facilitator, for initial starter Jordan Pope, who is more of a scoring-centric combo guard. The switch made all the difference in the world for the Longhorns' star off-guard, Tre Johnson, who scored 18 of his 24 in the second half on 6-for-9 from the field.
Having someone like Larry on the floor took pressure off of the freshman sensation, giving Johnson much more freedom to move around without the ball and get to advantageous positions. So many of the first-half possessions for Texas were isolation clear-outs where Johnson was forced to create his own shot without much help - with the ball moving much more freely in the half-court in the second period, Johnson was able to get in rhythm and create separation more easily with this dribble within the flow of the offense.
For UConn, Alex Karaban was the star of the show, demonstrating true acumen in several facets on both sides of the floor. He finished with 21 points and 11 rebounds, as well as adding four assists. He made great reads throughout the night from the perimeter, and though he's a prototypical forward without an elite handle, he is able to affect the offense as a secondary playmaker.
He was physically imposing in the paint, using all of his 6-foot-8, 225-pound frame to body people on the glass - five of his rebounds were on the offensive end, and his impressive first half featured 14 points and 2-for-2 shooting from deep. He showed awareness on cuts, making Texas defenders pay by using off-ball screens to his advantage. Though much better in the first half than the second, as the Texas defense began to key in on his strengths and counter by switching more on the defensive end, Karaban still was an overall net positive and one of the reasons UConn was able to pull off the victory on the road.
Johnson is a sure-fire first-round pick who will almost certainly go in the top 10 because of his elite scoring ability; Karaban is another likely first rounder with his mix of feel and defense, and despite being much less effective in the second half of play, he has shown more than enough this season to get himself into an NBA rotation sooner rather than later. Though Connecticut is the better team at this point in the season and likely will be going forward, given their coaching pedigree, both of these players proved they belong in the professional ranks come this time next year.