Coach Steve Alford may have made the right disciplinary decision, but the UCLA Bruins will suffer on the court as a result.
The shoplifting case dragged on for far too long. Weeks ago, three UCLA freshmen walked out of a store in China with stolen ware, setting off an international incident.
Since then, the three players dealt with house arrest in a Chinese hotel, excruciating press conferences at home, and the defection of LiAngelo Ball, set to move to Lithuania.
On Friday, the Bruins finally made a decision regarding the other two freshmen shrouded in the cloud of controversy; coach Steve Alford announced season-long suspensions for Jalen Hill and Cody Riley.
“Since returning from China, they have done everything asked of them and continued to work hard in the classroom and in their own personal workouts,” Alford said (h/t ESPN). “I’ve told our players all along that actions have consequences, and the season-long suspension shows how seriously we take their misconduct.”
Neither player will suit up for the Bruins or travel to road games for the remainder of the season. In essence, their previous indefinite suspensions have simply become definite.
Ultimately, the internal discipline likely fits the crime. That’s the most important thing from a societal perspective.
From a basketball perspective, however, Alford and the Bruins are in serious trouble. UCLA has lost two of their past three games ahead of a Saturday afternoon game against the Kentucky Wildcats.
A chief reason for their struggles has been the eight-man rotation they’ve been utilizing all season. Exhaustion sets in.
Oddly enough, that exhaustion seems to be setting in at the beginning of contests, not the end. According to Team Rankings, the UCLA Bruins have a better scoring margin and scoring average in the second half this season.
Either the Bruins are being overworked in practice or the coaching staff doesn’t have them prepared to start games.
Riley had immediate expectations for his freshman season. Hill was set to make an impact if the Bruins struggled with injuries. Now, neither will run on to the hardwood this season.
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The Bruins made their decision in regards to the suspensions, once and for all. They must live with the consequences.