The other day, University of Connecticut men's basketball coach Dan Hurley called big man Alex Karaban "the most under-appreciated great player in college basketball."

While that's an appropriate phrase, he could have also called Karaban something else: A unicorn, because that's exactly what he is.

In the age of NIL, the transfer portal and the "one-and-done," the four-year, one-college player is becoming increasingly extinct. Especially at the high-majors.

Generally, great high-major players jump to the NBA before all four years are up. If not, there's always the threat that a player will leave in search of some other opportunity. Retaining your own players has become as important as recruiting new players, and it never stops.

But Karaban has stayed, and as a result, he's carving out the kind of legacy that will only be dreamt about for most players, coaches and programs moving forward.

A two-time national champion already, Karaban is also in sole possession of fifth-place on the school's all-time three-pointers made list at 243. And with a strong run through conference play, the league tournament and the NCAA Tournament, there's a chance that he could break the all-time record of 276 held by Rashad Anderson. Even if he doesn't hit that, he's going to keep climbing the all-time list, solidifying his spot in UConn history even more.

And of course, there's a chance that UConn could win a third national championship in his tenure this season. The Huskies are 13-1 and 3-0 in league play. They were ranked No. 4 in the most recent AP Top 25 poll and could move up when the next poll is released on Monday.

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According to NBA Draft guru Jonathan Givony, pretty good. He recently said that he has Karaban ranked in his Top-20 prospects and that he thinks he's destined for a long career in the NBA.

At 6'8, Karaban has the height and shooting ability to stretch the floor, but he'll have to prove he has the quickness to stay with versatile NBA forwards.

--The Huskies will be back in action on Sunday afternoon when they host Marquette at Gampel Pavilion (2 p.m. ET).

--The Huskies women are back in action on Saturday when they host Seton Hall in Hartford (12 p.m. ET).

--The Huskies football team spent most of the first day of the transfer portal filling out the new coaching staff under head coach Jason Candle.

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