Connecticut's Alex Karaban Proved a ‘Winner' at NBA Combine

The 2026 NBA Combine has wrapped up its Chicago festivities, and now NBA scouts and franchises have a better idea of what each college player will bring to these professional teams.

One of the winners of the Combine was Connecticut forward Alex Karaban.

In a piece for Bleacher Report following the week-long NBA Combine, Jonathan Wasserman rattles off the winners and losers of the event. “Every year, the NBA Draft Combine gives prospects a chance to change their draft stock in front of dozens of front offices - through measurements, athletic testing, scrimmages and closed-door interviews,” he states.

He selected Karaban as one of the biggest winners of the Combine.

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“Alex Karaban’s measurements look strong for a wing or small-ball 4, and they mostly align with the listings from the 2024 NBA combine,” he states. “He has a solid 225-pound frame with the length of a power forward.”

He adds: “The biggest difference was his standing vertical, as he got up 5.5 inches higher this week than he did two years ago. That’s an incredible difference and a potentially meaningful one for a player whose lack of explosiveness has been a negative.”

My Take: Alex Karaban Solidified Himself as an Early Second-Round Pick

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So, Karaban’s measurements exceeded expectations in the Combine, and that means something. What else counts is that Karaban, according to Wasserman’s report, also shot very well during drills and led the event in mid-range shooting, as well as the three-point star drill. Karaban is projected to go as an early second-round pick, and his Combine performance won’t take him down from that expectation.

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This story was originally published May 22, 2026 at 1:53 PM.