Arizona State basketball and Saint Mary's moved at a near similar speed Monday. Randy Bennett landed at ASU to replace Bobby Hurley.
The Gaels, meanwhile, immediately named former player and top assistant Mickey McConnell after the Bennett exit. But we're zeroing in on the hire made in Tempe, Az.
Bennett takes over a program that not long ago witnessed success out of Hurley featuring three March Madness appearances. Hurley's last three Sun Devil teams fell below .500, however, which sparked the change.
Bennett added to a fast-moving day involving the college basketball coaching hiring cycle. He lands his gig on the same day another NCAA Tournament coach in Jerrod Calhoun jumped from Utah State to Cincinnati.
Is Bennett the right man for this Sun Devils job? It's time to weigh in.
Arizona State lands proven winner in Randy Bennett
Bennett built a strong resume out in the Eastern part of the Bay Area.
He leaves Moraga, Ca., having taken the Gaels to five straight NCAA Tournament appearances, a first in program history.
Granted, Bennett and the private Catholic university made lots of history together. Bennett delivered the most Field of 68 runs in program history with 12 total. He became 11 victories shy of 600 career wins.
The Gaels even rose as the biggest threat to West Coast Conference superpower Gonzaga. Saint Mary's and the Bulldogs formed one of the better mid-major rivalries in college basketball. That matchup is now at stake of ending with Gonzaga joining the newly revamped Pac-12 next season.
Bennett's philosophy should be a hit for Arizona State
Most non-Power Four programs have trouble finding size. A great majority must rely on guard play and the transition attack to wear down teams. But not Bennett's squads in Northern California.
He turned to the old school roundball approach of pounding inside and wearing down opponents. Bennett found a way to recruit size including having six players standing above 6-foot-8…three of whom towered above seven-feet. His top scorer was 6-foot-8 post presence Paulius Murauskas who averaged 18.4 points a game.
Bennett doesn't ignore guard play, though. Joshua Dent and Mikey Lewis both averaged in double figures with the former shooting 40.4% from 3-point range.
Still though, Bennett's frontcourt approach should feel perfect in the Big 12. He turns to a more methodical, motion-based offense. It may come off as slow to fans, but Bennett's offensive scheme is more aggressive than many think. Its intent is to wear down the front court and force guards to shoulder the scoring load down low. Sounds like a prime philosophy built for arguably the toughest basketball conference in America.
Bennett's defense will win over the desert too. The 63-year-old throws out a “pack-line” defense that keeps four defenders inside the arc to seal off any paint touches. From there his defense turns up on the ball pressure to force turnovers.
ASU lands more than a local guy from nearby Mesa. The Sun Devils land one of the more successful non-power conference coaches fully capable of adjusting right away to the heavyweight realm of CBB.
Grade: A
