Tony Bennett inked his name in the history books with a mid-February slobber-knocker 49-47 win over Wake Forest, assuring Virginia of a 13th-straight winning record in ACC play. He tied Duke‘s Mike Krzyzewski for second all time. No. 1 on that list is North Carolina‘s Dean Smith.
Maybe that was prescient.
Smith retired Oct. 9, 1997, just weeks before UNC’s season opener. Bennett pulled the same move out of Smith’s playbook Thursday, retiring roughly three weeks before Virginia’s season-opener against Campbell.
It was not a health-related issue, CBS Sports’ Matt Norlander reported Thursday. It seemingly stems from Bennett’s growing frustration with the new era of college basketball, where everyone is a free agent year after year and the transfer portal reigns supreme in roster-building.
But the timing is odd, especially after he signed in June a contract extension through 2030.
So, what’s the fallout for Virginia basketball?
