Tony Bennett knows a little something about the Tourney. His dad coached him at UW-Green Bay and Bennett single-handedly powered the Phoenix attack. His ability to hit a deep outside shots was right up there with guys like Steve Kerr and Steve Alford.
The coaching pedigree is also evident. This shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone who is familiar with this family and its coaching legacy.
Bennett shot an amazing 49 percent from 3 point range!!!! I think that's still the record. He also averaged something like 25 points/game. He was simply awesome. I think Wisconsin fans have an unfair advantage. We saw Dick Bennett turn around programs for a living and were clued into this.
While Tony Bennett may have been an unknown, you just had the feeling he'd keep things going. I think he was largely responsible for recruiting the current crop of players and he spent his whole life learning from coaching legends.
Don't forget, Tony coached a few year under Bo Ryan, too, before following his dad to Pullman. Wazzu looks a LOT MORE like current UW than 2000 UW, IMO.
I keep feeling like Dick Bennett is following me.
I graduate UW in 96, here comes Dick Bennett. I graduate from grad school at Wazzu in 1999, here comes Dick Bennett.
So, I have many reasons to love a Wazzu/UW Final Four matchup.
It sure would be prettier than that laugher of a football game last September!
I graduate UW in 96, here comes Dick Bennett. I graduate from grad school at Wazzu in 1999, here comes Dick Bennett.
Me, too...except he followed me while I was at the schools. I attended UGB while he was there (and while Tony was lighting it up...he was in one of my big lecture classes) and I went to grad school at Wisconsin during the Final Four run. What a time to be at UW! Rose Bowls, Final Four, Hockey ranked #1 much of the time. Good times!
he followed me while I was at the schools. I attended UGB while he was there (and while Tony was lighting it up...he was in one of my big lecture classes) and I went to grad school at Wisconsin during the Final Four run
You know, I have to say that someone with that kind of background should be really full of themselves. But, despite your greatness, you still tend to be somewhat humble, from time to time. Maybe you should write a book. You could call it "Almost a Bennett."
Maybe I could do the forward. I ATTENDED UW STEVENS POINT a mere 6 years after Bennett left. I left Point a few years before Jack Bennett started . . . CRAZY!!!!
I lived in Madison . . . . WHILE DICK WAS COACHING!!!
I was in England when the Badgers were playing in the Great 8 in 2000. . . and I READ ABOUT THE WIN ON THE INTERNET!
I even SAW TONY BENNETT at my current place of work. He is one hell of a singer, and even showed off his latest grammy during a private performance for the staff.
The Bennett story is a long one. In the early to mid 1980's, I was a walk-on at UW-Stevens Point, where Tony's father Dick coached. I had to gaurd Terry Porter... didn't make the team. I played a lot of pick-up games with young Tony a junior high kid who could shoot the lights out then. He wanted to play one-on-one and I used to joke that if he started to beat me, I would start blocking his shot. He went on to star at UWGreen Bay with his father as coach. After his NBA career, he fairly quickly started coaching and learned how to combine the old school Basketball of his father with letting his players play like he did. I like to see Tony getting some well deserved national attention.
If you want to see how REAL basketball is played, pull for a Washington State - Wisconsin national semi-final! Tony Bennett & Bo Ryan matching wits against each other-shades of John Wooden vs. Dean Smith; two other Real basketball coaches! Cougars vs. Badgers- nirvana for the true basketball fan!
