I'm impressed by the forward-thinkingness of the athletic department to come up with an excuse and bench Jalen and begin tanking in earnest. I know we would probably have lost anyways, but why risk it? This season is a wash, so we might as well get as many ping pong balls as possible.
Kudos to Benedict for not firing Ollie, though. It's a very Lakers with Byron-esque situation. Keep him around so you are guaranteed to lose and accrue the draft equity that you need.
I guess I shouldn't be surprised, they "shut down" Alterique suspiciously early. Like the Spurs in the 90's, a great way to compete for championships consistently for a long time is to be a decent team that loses a key piece for the season and sucks for a whole year on purpose to get a generational talent. You have to admire the dedication by UConn to do it two years in a row.
Kudos to Benedict for not firing Ollie, though. It's a very Lakers with Byron-esque situation. Keep him around so you are guaranteed to lose and accrue the draft equity that you need.
I guess I shouldn't be surprised, they "shut down" Alterique suspiciously early. Like the Spurs in the 90's, a great way to compete for championships consistently for a long time is to be a decent team that loses a key piece for the season and sucks for a whole year on purpose to get a generational talent. You have to admire the dedication by UConn to do it two years in a row.
