Dan Hurley, Alex Karaban and the Inevitable Connecticut Huskies Marching Back to the Final Four
WASHINGTON D.C.—Three decades ago, Bill Murray helped Michael Jordan vanquish the Monstars in Space Jam. Yet, even he couldn't believe his eyes as Braylon Mullins' 35-foot heave put the final touch on Connecticut's historic comeback against the No. 1 overall seed Duke Blue Devils.
Murray's son, Luke, has been an assistant on Dan Hurley's staff at UConn for the past five years. And though Luke has already accepted the job to become the next head coach at Boston College, he'll worry about building out that Eagles roster after he's done playing his part in what is on the precipice of becoming the most dynastic run this sport has seen since the John Wooden era UCLA Bruins.
A proud papa and grandpa, Bill just paced around at midcourt during the East Regional trophy presentation, smiling from ear to ear, ready for one more week of life as the world's most famous UConn fan, unable to put into words what he had just witnessed. (But, also, unable to pass up the opportunity to try to make Bill Raftery laugh during his wrap-up segment by giving moose antlers to the camera operator, because he's still Bill Freaking Murray.)
Really, though, it's fitting that Murray was in the Capital One Arena for this game, because UConn making it back to another Final Four has a real Groundhog Day feel to it.
This Huskies team is nowhere near the juggernaut that it was two years ago, nor has this march to the National Semifinals been close to as emphatic as it was three years ago. It was only a few weeks ago that UConn lost by 20 to St. John's, that blowout coming a week after an embarrassing loss to Marquette.
Should they get past Illinois in the Final Four on Saturday, Hurley's guys will almost certainly be a considerable underdog on Monday against the winner of that colossal clash between Arizona and Michigan.
But Hurley and Alex Karaban still standing in the final weekend of the season?
Not to mention Duke—despite a Herculean effort from its freshman who is going to win all of the National Player of the Year awards—falling short of a title-game appearance because of a second-half collapse?
Just one year removed from the Blue Devils blowing a 14-point lead against Houston in the Final Four?
It's all feeling eerily familiar.
For the well-decorated senior, Sunday's showdown with the Blue Devils was the furthest thing from Karaban's greatest individual performance. In fact, he entered halftime with no points, no rebounds, no assists and one brutal air ball of a wide-open three-pointer as the Huskies trailed by 15.
It's only because of Tarris Reed Jr. that UConn was able to stay in this game. While he didn't quite match his 31-point, 27-rebound spectacular from the first round against Furman, he went for 26 points, nine rebounds, four blocks, three assists and two steals in a performance that was nothing short of legendary.
And when it mattered most, who but Karaban would rise to the occasion to get the 122nd win of his illustrious collegiate career?
With 50 seconds remaining, he hit the three-pointer that cut Duke's lead to one for the first time since the game was tied at 2-2.
"I knew eventually shots would fall," Karaban said. "We had so many good looks this game that just weren't falling. But you can't really let your confidence die down when you don't see shots go in."
(UConn started 1-for-18 from three-point range before the lid finally came off the basket in the closing minutes.)
Then, on the mad scramble that led to the game-winning, legacy-writing logo three from Mullins, the freshman kicked it to his veteran leader to save them. But rather than force up a contested shot, Karaban passed it right back to the youngster pursuing his first Final Four.
"I had the ball and I know AK had just hit one, so I threw him it," Mullins said. "Four seconds left, and he just threw the ball back to me and I knew I had to put one up. Man, I'm just happy that was the one that went down tonight."
"I looked at the rim and I saw we had five seconds left," Karaban said. "I had Cam Boozer in front of me, so it was a harder, more difficult shot. So I passed it to Braylon. When I saw him release it, I was like, 'That really might go in.' And it went in and the Indiana kid sent us to Indianapolis."
Just like that, it's UConn, Hurley and Karaban.
Heading to the Final Four.
Again.
Illinois hasn't been to a Final Four since 2005 and has never won a national championship.
Arizona is playing in its first Final Four since 2001 and seeking its first title since 1997.
Michigan did play in the title games in both 2018 and 2013, but lost both and otherwise hasn't been to a Final Four since the ill-fated Chris Webber game in 1993, looking for its first natty since 1989.
But the Huskies?
They've become inevitable.
They're going for a third title in four years, as well as what would be their seventh since the last time anyone else left in this field won it all.
Whether you consider the Huskies a blue blood program, a new blood phenomenon or more of an "even-year San Francisco Giants" sort of situation that keeps producing titles, one thing is for certain: This team just knows how to win.
They are now just two wins away from sparking a conversation about where Karaban ranks alongside the likes of Christian Laettner among the most legendary players in NCAA tournament history, and whether there's any argument left to be had about who is the greatest coach in the game today.
