University of Connecticut Athletics
Ball and Karaban Named To Naismith Award Watch List
11/3/2025 12:53:00 PM | Men's Basketball
ATLANTA – UConn men's basketball redshirt senior Alex Karaban and junior Solo Ball have both earned spots on the 2025-2026 Jersey Mike's Naismith Trophy Men's College Player of the Year Watch List. The two Huskies are among 50 players nationally to make the list and two of six representatives from the BIG EAST. UConn is one of 12 programs in the country with multiple representatives on the watch list.
The National Player of the Year Watch List nod is the second for Karaban in as many weeks after becoming one of 20 players named to the NABC Player of the Year Watch list on Oct. 30. He also earned a Preseason First Team All-BIG EAST nod and a spot on the Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Award watch list. Ball was recently named a Preseason Third Team All-American by CBS Sports' Jon Rothstein and was also a Preseason First Team All-BIG EAST pick. Last week he was one of 10 to place on the Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Award Watch List.
Karaban enters his final year as one of the top-30 scorers in UConn history with his eyes set on several program records along with the rarified air of a third national title – a feat not accomplished in more than half a century. He averaged career-highs of 14.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.5 blocks per game in 2024-25.
Ball begins his junior season after a breakout sophomore campaign, one in which he more than quadrupled his scoring output from 3.1 points per game as a freshman to 14.4 per game last year as the lone Husky to start all 35 contests. He emerged as one of the nation's premiere 3-point shooters and hit on 99 3-pointers, fourth-most in a season in program history, at a 41.4 percent clip.
The No. 4 Huskies open the regular season on Monday night against New Haven at Gampel Pavilion.
