Oklahoma City’s new defender received prestigious honors from his alma mater on Saturday. Alex Caruso was inducted into the Texas A&M Lettermen Hall of Fame during the Aggies’ football game, joining an elite group of athletes from his alma mater.
.@TAMULettermen Hall of Famer — sounds good! pic.twitter.com/xSQM0GCQ2a
— Texas A&M basketball team (@aggiembk) September 7, 2024
According to the university, Texas A&M elects members to the Hall of Fame for “individuals who have made significant contributions to and support of the athletic programs” at the university.
Caruso’s efforts at Texas A&M helped the Aggies enjoy one of the most successful periods of basketball in university history. He helped lead his team to a 28-win regular season, an SEC regular season title and a Sweet 16 berth in the NCAA Tournament. Most notably, Caruso was named the CBS SEC Defensive Player of the Year in 2016 and was named to the All-SEC Second Team and All-SEC Third Team two years in a row. He currently holds the all-time Texas A&M records for career steals and assists.
After his stellar career in College Station, Caruso went undrafted and ironically signed with the Oklahoma City Blue, the Thunder’s G League affiliate. From there, Caruso joined the Lakers on a two-way contract and ended up playing a key role in Los Angeles’ run to the Finals. He enjoyed a payday with the Chicago Bulls and eventually ended up returning to Oklahoma City in a blockbuster trade that sent Josh Giddey to Chicago. Caruso is widely known as one of the best role players in the entire NBA.
In 2023, Caruso was named to the NBA All-Defense First Team and a season ago he was a member of the All-Defense Second Team.
He has carved out a niche in the NBA with his tough-as-nails style of play. He is an aggressive defender who instantly makes the team better with his boundless energy and team-first mentality. Caruso has also transformed into an elite outside shooter, shooting 40.8 percent from three-point range with the Bulls last season.
It’s cool to see his alma mater, Texas A&M, reward him for all his efforts in College Station. He started 120 total games for the Aggies and led the university to numerous successes while joining the school’s prestigious 1,000-point club.
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