At least, that's according to his mother, Olga.
“He hadn't made a decision,” Olga said Wednesday night. “He spoke with his agent, he spoke with us, he spoke with the coaching staff. He woke up this morning and it was 50/50.”
Finally, around 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Alex Caraban made his decision: He'll return to the University of Connecticut for his junior season and once again lead the team.
“It took a lot of thought,” Olga pointed out, “but it made sense to Alex.”
If Caraban can lead the Huskies to a third consecutive championship, the University of Connecticut would become the first men's college basketball team to achieve the feat since Bill Walton's UCLA teams from 1970-73.
“I think he wants to make history again,” Olga continued. “He wanted to come back and have a special year and he wanted to improve on the feedback he's gotten so far, so I think it's all a combination of that.”
Olga and her husband, Alexei, have always placed a premium on education, and even after Alex fell in love with the program on his official visit, Olga wasn't satisfied until she learned about UConn's educational opportunities. So, one of the deciding factors had to be education, right?
“To tell you the truth, that wasn't the case,” Olga said, “because if he stayed, he would have finished his education anyway, so it was absolutely the best decision for his basketball career.”
Needless to say, this year's draft is not expected to be as strong as next year's.
Still, it was one decision that made history, and my mother is very happy about it.
“Of course. It's close to home,” said Olga, who lives in the Northborough, Massachusetts, home where Alex grew up. “He's with family at the University of Connecticut, so he's safe. He can sleep well at night.”
