A Bargin At 1.7mil

[4everwarriors]

Tony Bennett reportedly signed for the above mentioned cheap sum. MU certainly could have and would have paid that a year ago. Therefore, it is clear that Tony not only holds ill feelings toward IU for firing his sister, not also is PO'd at Marquette for bypassing his father as well.

[VegasWarrior77]

Who cares?  I would not want to watch his teams score in the 60s!  I give him four years (max) at Virginia.  I went on the Wazzou boards a few times this season and the fans were disgruntled to say the least!  He left while he had a chance (and a choice).

[PuertoRicanNightmare]

Are you nuts? Bennett wouldn't even have been a gamble. Buzz continues to look like a total wild card. His recruiting strength is in Texas, his chief endorsements were from Gillespie and Crean and his behavior can only generously be called unusual. As for your comment about scoring, did you have a problem with the Kevin O'Neill era?

We had an exciting year and for that we can all thank our seniors. Unfortunately, now we're going to see exactly just exactly how big an oddball Cottingham hired.

[Brewtown Andy]

Are you nuts? Bennett wouldn't even have been a gamble. Buzz continues to look like a total wild card. His recruiting strength is in Texas, his chief endorsements were from Gillespie and Crean and his behavior can only generously be called unusual. As for your comment about scoring, did you have a problem with the Kevin O'Neill era?

We had an exciting year and for that we can all thank our seniors. Unfortunately, now we're going to see exactly just exactly how big an oddball Cottingham hired.

If his fixation on numbers means Buzz becomes the Billy Beane of college basketball, I'm completely fine with that.

Other than the "A's can't win a playoff series" part. 

[PuertoRicanNightmare]

That's a good comparison, except Billy Beane is a well respected ex-player and considered by many to be something of a genius. Never heard him talk about video taping press conferences of other GMs or counting how many days he's been on the job. Doesn't have a history of bizarre behavior either...as far as I can tell.

[bma725]

Are you nuts? Bennett wouldn't even have been a gamble. Buzz continues to look like a total wild card. His recruiting strength is in Texas, his chief endorsements were from Gillespie and Crean and his behavior can only generously be called unusual. As for your comment about scoring, did you have a problem with the Kevin O'Neill era?

We had an exciting year and for that we can all thank our seniors. Unfortunately, now we're going to see exactly just exactly how big an oddball Cottingham hired.

A guy who has yet to show he can win without his father's players or recruit well enough to stay competitive in the weaker Pac 10 wouldn't have been a gamble?  That's insane. 

[Big Daddy Z]

This is so stupid...Bennett is NOT a MU guy,,,why would we want him? His O is boring and he'd get smoked in the BE....

[VegasWarrior77]

A guy who has yet to show he can win without his father's players or recruit well enough to stay competitive in the weaker Pac 10 wouldn't have been a gamble?  That's insane.

+1000

I can't believe the fascination with T. Bennett!  Let's see how he does without daddy's coattails in the ACC!  UNC will beat UVA like a drum!  Besides, HE DIDN'T WANT TO REALLY COME HERE!

[Joe Thompson]

A guy who has yet to show he can win without his father's players or recruit well enough to stay competitive in the weaker Pac 10 wouldn't have been a gamble?  That's insane. 

One thing you can say about Bennett was that his Wazzu team got markedly better as the season went on and some of their best performances came in their last month of playing.

He was relying on a lot of youth (like Marquette will soon) and looked like a nice foundation for the future.

[Pakuni]

One thing you can say about Bennett was that his Wazzu team got markedly better as the season went on and some of their best performances came in their last month of playing.

He was relying on a lot of youth (like Marquette will soon) and looked like a nice foundation for the future.

He wasn't relying that much on youth.
Four of his top six players, in terms of minutes, were seniors. A fifth was a junior. That's a lot closer to what MU had this year than what MU will have next year.

To whatever extent he did rely on youth, you can blame that on his total lack of recruiting the previous two seasons. Only one junior, and no sophomores, played more than three minutes per game.

Was his team really improving the last month? The record says otherwise. After Feb. 5, Wazzou went 5-7. Two of those wins were over a truly bad Oregon team.

Frankly, I think I need someone to explain to me the Tony Bennett lovefest around here. He had one very good season (2007-08) thanks to a roster full of upperclassmen recruited by his old man. The previous year his team won a first-round game and then couldn't hold seed in the second round.
I guess I don't see how that qualifies him as a grand slam.

[77ncaachamps]

I give Tony 6 years and he's gone.

6 years is the average stay of the last three head coaches, which is fairly decent. But that only means TWO years of just your own recruits.

[VegasWarrior77]

1)Washington State led Division I in scoring defense, with a yield of 55.4 points per game, but finished 314th out of 330 teams in total offense (59.2).  How will his Wisconsin-like offense look in the ACC?

2)Here's a post from the WSU board before this last season when the Cougars went 8-10 in the weak PAC-10: "I go to Wazzu, and I agree. Washington State isn't nearly as physical as Wisconsin and rarely shows up in big games. Now with their seniors gone from last year who helped them gain national notoriety, the true test begins."  He bolted WSU while he could!

3) A lot of Virginia fans are less than enthused to get Bennett.  I wonder why???

[lab_warrior]

What is with the completely unwarranted love towards Bennett by some folks on this board?!  The guy will be an EPIC FAIL at UVA.  I like watching up-tempo, athletic basketball, played by skilled players...so we don't need the Mike Deane redux, with its emphasis on BORING, SLOW offense and cage-match Big10 defense...that WON'T WIN in this conference!! 
If you guys are going to argue an alternative to Buzz, argue Miller from Xavier, NOT Bennett--that just makes you guys look foolish.  Miller has been to the Sweet16 multiple times.

[NavinRJohnson]

I heard a theory that I suppose was discussed at the time, but I honestly do not remember...that Bennet thought he was in line for the LSU job, which he wanted, and thus was not willing to consider MU (The MU opening/hiring took place before LSU). LSU obviously ended up hiring Trent Johnson. Anyway, for what its worth.

Also, who cares?

[mviale]

who is tony bennett? Those of us on the coasts want to know

[BrewCity83]

I heard he left his heart in San Francisco.

[PuertoRicanNightmare]

+1000

I can't believe the fascination with T. Bennett!  Let's see how he does without daddy's coattails in the ACC!  UNC will beat UVA like a drum!  Besides, HE DIDN'T WANT TO REALLY COME HERE!

Please explain the difference between winning with "Daddy's players," players Tony Bennett helped recruit, and winning with returning starters including 4 seniors and a junior, none of which Williams recruited.

[Tom Crean's Tanning Bed]

Also, who cares?

Clearly, a couple of individuals that still have lingering issues towards Marquette's administration on this thread.  

[rocky_warrior]

Please explain the difference between winning with "Daddy's players," players Tony Bennett helped recruit, and winning with returning starters including 4 seniors and a junior, none of which Williams recruited.

The difference?  After that winning season coach a (daddy's players) didn't have a top ranked recruiting class coming in.  Coach b (returning starters) does have a top ranked recruiting class.

You still don't see any difference?  (hint: Both can coach good players.  One can recruit good players).

[Pakuni]

Please explain the difference between winning with "Daddy's players," players Tony Bennett helped recruit, and winning with returning starters including 4 seniors and a junior, none of which Williams recruited.

Too funny.
Buzz wins with Crean's players; you declare it meaningless and call his hiring the equivalent of an infield single.
Tony wins with dad's players (give his recruiting sans papa, I'm skeptical he had much to do with their recruitment); you declare his hiring the equivalent of a grand slam.

So much for consistency.

[PuertoRicanNightmare]

You don't think hiring Tony Bennett after he turned down Indiana would have been 1000 times more impressive than hiring Buzz Williams? Really? Virginia seemed to be impressed with him. Do you think Virginia would have answered a phone call from Buzz Williams? Do you think Virginia would have considered his mentor, Billy Gillespie? The answer is no. Why? Because Tony Bennett is a much more impressive individual than either of them.

Why can't you people admit that Buzz Williams was a HUGE gamble? He walked out on his last job, we've already seen examples of a very bizarre personality and he's not exactly the person I'd choose as a the most high profile representative of our university.

[Tom Crean's Tanning Bed]

You don't think hiring Tony Bennett after he turned down Indiana would have been 1000 times more impressive than hiring Buzz Williams? Really? Virginia seemed to be impressed with him. Do you think Virginia would have answered a phone call from Buzz Williams? Do you think Virginia would have considered his mentor, Billy Gillespie? The answer is no. Why? Because Tony Bennett is a much more impressive individual than either of them.

Why can't you people admit that Buzz Williams was a HUGE gamble? He walked out on his last job, we've already seen examples of a very bizarre personality and he's not exactly the person I'd choose as a the most high profile representative of our university.

You know, for a guy who spent so much time pi$$ing and moaning about the PR shell games our former coach played while at Marquette and now plays at I4, you seem awfully concerned with appearances and public relations when it comes to our current coach.

[Pakuni]

You don't think hiring Tony Bennett after he turned down Indiana would have been 1000 times more impressive than hiring Buzz Williams? Really? Virginia seemed to be impressed with him. Do you think Virginia would have answered a phone call from Buzz Williams? Do you think Virginia would have considered his mentor, Billy Gillespie? The answer is no. Why? Because Tony Bennett is a much more impressive individual than either of them.

Good Lord, are you Tony Bennett's mom, agent or both?
Do I think Virginia would have considered Billy Gillespie?
In a freaking heartbeat. Gillespie is five times more accomplished than Tony Bennett. He helped build a national championship contender at Illinois, then rebuilt UTEP into a tournament team and then rebuilt Texas A&M into a tournament team.
What's Tony Bennett ever accomplished as a coach except go for a ride on his old man's coattails?

Nobody has suggested there wasn't risk in hiring of Buzz. Rather, we're pointing out your hypocrisy (and flat-out inaccuracy) in acting as if there would be zero risk in hiring Tony Bennett and that Bennett is somehow a slam-dunk candidate. Sorry, but the facts, particularly when it comes to recruiting, suggest otherwise.

[GregShimonFor2]

You don't think hiring Tony Bennett after he turned down Indiana would have been 1000 times more impressive than hiring Buzz Williams? Really? Virginia seemed to be impressed with him. Do you think Virginia would have answered a phone call from Buzz Williams? Do you think Virginia would have considered his mentor, Billy Gillespie? The answer is no. Why? Because Tony Bennett is a much more impressive individual than either of them.

Why can't you people admit that Buzz Williams was a HUGE gamble? He walked out on his last job, we've already seen examples of a very bizarre personality and he's not exactly the person I'd choose as a the most high profile representative of our university.

Clueless ... absolutely, positively, 100 percent clueless.

Ask people in the MU athletic department about Buzz. Ask his players. Ask his recruits. Ask people in the media. If you don't think Buzz Williams is a good representative of Marquette, then you really are out to lunch.

[PuertoRicanNightmare]

There is no way in hell Virginia would consider Billy Gillespie.