You think that UVA needs to have this system in order to win at the highest level, and because of that we should continue with âThe Bennett Wayâ if we wanna reach the mountain top again given his process is the only time we ever actually reached the peak of college basketball (sans the Ralph years).
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You think that UVA as a basketball program has enough resources to succeed with another style of play and different principles so long as theyâre implemented properly. âThe Bennett Wayâ worked amazing for a period of time but was waning as the years went on and itâs for the best if we split off from it completely and try something different.
Not an exact science but this is how I split the different candidates in my head. Option #1 would be hiring Ron, or J Willy, or bringing back Ritchie McKay. Option #2 would be Shaka, Ryan Odom, Wes Miller, or many other potential candidates weâd see in the carousel. The only guy who I could see potentially bridging the gap between both options is Otzelberger given how similarly-ran his program is to ours, but even then itâs not exact. Itâs also not to say that any of the guys in the first column wouldnât have their share of differences from Bennett, but to me hiring any of those three would be signs that weâre trying to keep the culture that Bennett built here intact.
UVA needs a âsystemâ to win. It canât try to replicate what schools with bigger brands or resources do (e.g., Try to out-talent or out-athlete). We need a unique approach that neutralizes talent gaps. We canât just run a trendy NBA-inspired offense, rebuild the roster every year, and just roll out the ball.
Bennettâs system fit that to a tee. There are other systems that could work. But we should steer clear of coaches known as elite recruiters, those that over-rely on the portal, or those that emphasize pace & athleticism over efficiency for success.
I agree, but I donât think it HAS to be the Bennett system per-se. There are other unique systems and cultures within college basketball that work exceptionally well too, and we have the proper resources for those coaches/systems to be able to flourish.
Itâs why a guy like Shaka is so appealing to me, I understand that his time at Texas didnât go particularly well but heâs changed and evolved since then into someone who I think would absolutely kill it here. Completely retooled his offense to fit the modern game, went full send into prioritizing roster growth through HS recruiting and player development, and now has a strong culture built upon retaining players during a time where everyone else is shunning that calling it a lost cause.
Maybe Iâm overstating how good heâd be here but I think heâd be the right kind of coach for us. Wouldnât be someone relying on the portal to reload every year, weâd actually build a roster similar to the way Bennett did early on but with a completely different approach to Xâs and Oâs.
I think you can capture the Bennett (Dick and Tony) insights without playing their specific style.
Kelvin Sampson seems to be a decent case in point. He doesnât wow with recruiting. But he has a certain style and recruits to that style. Same with Painter.
You canât beat the blue bloods at their game, if you play the same way. So find a different way. Shaka at Marquette. Not Shaka at Texas
Also think @SGHoo and @Jake make good points: this isnât 2019. We have been good, not great. And this roster is [fill in the blank]
Shaka Smart left VCU for what he thought were the greener pastures of Texas. I donât think he really enjoyed the experience. Heâs now back home, and is enjoying success at Marquette. I am skeptical he will be tempted to leave. I am very skeptical he would be tempted to leave Marquette for Virginia.
Maybe, maybe not, but that (ie, whether he would come here) wasnât the topic. Heâs an example of someone who found a countercyclical style and is winning. Just like the Bennetts. Dick didnât discover a magic formula. He just had some good ideas.
Letâs find another good coach with good ideas. Thatâs my point.
Yeah agreed. The roster is intriguing and could be good next year, but I donât think weâre going to keep everybody even if we do hire Ron full time, so that argument doesnât really have legs to me. Basketball rosters turn over so much now that it doesnât spook me too much if we had to do a complete rebuild (as long as I like the hire at least).
In no particular order: Mike Magpayo (UC Riverside) Chris Gerlufsen (San Francisco) Bashir Mason (Saint Peterâs) Griff Aldrich (Longwood) Mike Jones (UNC Greensboro) Bucky McMillan (Samford) Jeff Boals (Ohio) Niko Medved (Colorado State) Matt Langel (Colgate) Kirk Penney (Wisconsin Assistant)
Would have been on and near the top of my list, but RIP: Amir Abdur-Rahim (South Florida)
Boals and Medved seem like Midwest guys; good coaches but is it the right fit?
You start to wonder about guys like Langel. Why arenât they moving up? Do they not want to? Are they waiting for the right one? Something else ? Maybe true for other guys on the list, too?
Penney is too big of a jump, I think
Aldrich seems really intriguing. Itâs a long shot bet, but could pay off big
@kendall can speak for himself, but I took it as ânames to add to the listâ not âthe listâ
Would be kind of fun to have an ongoing poll of top 5 candidates or so⌠pick your top 5 realistic guys ⌠something like that. I canât do polls on my phone anymore. Maybe Iâll do something later