UCLA Basketball

Tony Bennett has built Virginia into a national powerhouse. And now, UCLA is interested in the coaching superstar.

First, Pete Thamel of Yahoo Sports said UCLA covets Bennett as the replacement for Steve Alford, who was fired in December. Then, college basketball insider Adam Zagoria reported that Bennett "has not said no yet" to the Bruins.

We'll do it for him. Hey, UCLA, you listening?

No.

Bennett has outgrown you.

A little more than a decade ago, that would've seemed a hilarious thought. Beginning in 2005-06, UCLA reached three consecutive Final Fours. That run started one season before Bennett succeeded his father, Tony, at fellow Pac-12 school Washington State.

Bennett immediately led Wazzu to a program-record-tying 26 wins in consecutive seasons. However, the Cougars won only 17 games during his third year, which featured future NBA players in senior Aron Baynes and freshman Klay Thompson.

Despite having little connection to the ACC―or the East Coast in general, save for his three-year NBA career as a guard for the Charlotte Hornets—Bennett accepted the job at Virginia. The program had two NCAA tournament appearances over the previous 12 years.

At the time, one Virginia supporter told the Richmond Times-Dispatch the Bennett hiring lacked a "wow" factor.

Ten years later, a move from Charlottesville to Los Angeles would be the sport's biggest news. Yet there's little sense in Bennett leaving Virginia and the ACC for the messes of UCLA and the Pac-12.

During his tenure with the Wahoos, Bennett has transformed them from NCAA afterthought to regular top-seed competitor. Virginia is riding an eight-year streak of 20-plus victories, and the current campaign will likely be the fifth 29-win season in six years.

UCLA, meanwhile, is trudging through a horrible season. The players are criticized for low energy, the offense is maligned for little movement, and the defense is a complete disaster.

UCLA loses 104-80 to Stanford. Fourth time since beginning of last year that the Bruins have given up 100 points in a game. Before that, the last time an opponent scored 100 on UCLA was in 2004.

— Thuc Nhi Nguyen (@thucnhi21) February 17, 2019

Bennett has accomplished this while guiding Virginia through the ACC, which is annually among the nation's best conferences.

The Pac-12 is very much not.

After sending only three teams to the 2018 tournament, the Pac-12 is flirting with being a one-bid league this season. Just three years ago, the conference had seven representatives. While factoring in the talent level of this UCLA team―three 5-stars and five healthy 4-stars―the absence of success is a nightmare.

Unless Bennett desires a blank check or loves attention, the off-court reasons don't make sense, either. He's already the 14th-highest-paid coach, per USA Today, and his demeanor doesn't suggest he craves the Los Angeles spotlight.

That notoriety would only foster high expectations in a location that long embraced a Showtime offense opposite of Bennett's.

It's true former UCLA coach Ben Howland also used a methodical system, and it was a contributing factor to Westwood souring on him as the teams started to underperform. Given how starved the Bruins are for success, though, the concern of Bennett's similar style probably wouldn't be a major issue initially.

Nevertheless, none of Howland's three Final Four teams ranked higher than 209th in adjusted tempo, per KenPom.com. Surely Bennett's grinding philosophy―the slowest tempo in the nation three years running―would become the chief criticism if the Bruins fell short. After all, it already is of Virginia today.

There's little doubt he'd thrive in the Pac-12. Considering the league's recent struggles, it wouldn't take much for Bennett to transform the Bruins into a perennial conference title contender.

But why leave an annual winner he built and sustained in a premier league? What does he gain? Dominating a weak conference potentially means a less-tested team that struggles in the tournament. And restoring UCLA to glory only matters if he values tradition more than anything else.

If that doesn't carry weight, the top priority is winning.

He's best positioned to do that at Virginia. Besides, the only ceiling on his potential is based on a false perception. Just last season, Loyola-Chicago used a similar philosophy to reach the Final Four and became the darling of the tournament. He's already close at Virginia. He doesn't need to resurrect UCLA.

Bennett shouldn't take his star near Hollywood.

          

All statistics courtesy of KenPom or Sports Reference, unless otherwise noted. Follow Bleacher Report writer David Kenyon on Twitter @Kenyon19_BR.

Virginia Cavaliers basketball coach Tony Bennett reportedly hasn't ruled out the possibility of becoming the next coach at UCLA. 

Adam Zagoria cited a source who said the Bruins "are going hard after Tony Bennett, and he has not said no yet."

This comes after Yahoo Sports' Pete Thamel reported on Feb. 7 the Pac-12 school "covets" the Virginia coach, although he suggested it is a long shot and pointed out, "he's already turned down plenty of more established programs in favor of the elite program he's established in Charlottesville. Also, Bennett enjoys attention as much as J.D. Salinger, which wouldn't make the bright lights of L.A. very appealing."

Zagoria noted one UCLA source said the "only issue with Bennett is the grinding pace" he prefers.

According to Ken Pomeroy's pace-adjusted rankings, the Cavaliers are last (353rd) in the country in tempo this season. While that slow style of play may frustrate some, it is difficult to argue with the results.

Bennett is in his 10th season with Virginia and sports a 240-88 record. He has three regular-season ACC titles, two conference tournament titles and six NCAA tournament appearances, although he has left fans wanting in March at times. Despite the regular-season success, the Cavaliers haven't reached the Final Four during his tenure.

They also became the first No. 1 seed to lose to a No. 16 in the first round of the NCAA tournament last season.

Still, Virginia's success would be a significant improvement over UCLA of late. The Bruins are just 13-12 this season and appear nowhere near NCAA tournament contention after they fired Steve Alford in December. The historically dominant program also hasn't been to the Final Four since 2008.

UCLA's spot near the top of the college basketball hierarchy with a record 11 national championships can't be debated, but Virginia has been more competitive on a national stage during Bennett's tenure.

Zagoria noted former Chicago Bulls and Iowa State head coach Fred Hoiberg, Cincinnati Bearcats head coach Mick Cronin, Texas Tech coach Chris Beard, Marquette coach Steve Wojciechowski and Houston's Kelvin Sampson are also being considered.

As they look for a permanent replacement for Steve Alford, the UCLA Bruins have Tony Bennett near the top of their wish list.

Yahoo Sports' Pete Thamel reported UCLA "covets" the Virginia Cavaliers head coach but that hiring Bennett would be anything but a sure thing for the Bruins.

Thamel wrote that Bennett has "already turned down plenty of more established programs" and "enjoys attention as much as J.D. Salinger, which wouldn't make the bright lights of LA very appealing."

Thamel went on to throw out Los Angeles Lakers head coach Luke Walton and former Chicago Bulls head coach Fred Hoiberg as possibilities. He expressed skepticism about Walton, positing Walton may instead want to go to the Arizona Wildcats, where Sean Miller appears to be on shaky ground. Hoiberg, on the other hand, might be the "safest bet" of the top contenders for the Bruins' vacancy.

Bennett doesn't really have a compelling reason to leave Virginia, even for a school as prestigious as UCLA.

The Cavaliers have yet to advance past the Elite Eight under his watch, but that's a combination of bad luck and the unpredictable nature of the NCAA tournament. Bennett has Virginia at a place where it can challenge for an ACC title on an annual basis.

At the same time, the fanbase won't be in an uproar if the team falls short in March. Stadium's Jeff Goodman highlighted that point as a reason why UCLA may struggle to poach a star-level head coach:

UCLA will have a tough time getting a coach like Mike Brey, Tony Bennett, Chris Holtmann, etc. for several reasons:

1) Salary and cost of living in LA
2) Lack of charter flights
3) Unrealistic expectations with the program

— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) December 31, 2018

With Alford at the helm, the Bruins reached three Sweet 16s in five seasons before the team fired him midway through this year. A number of UCLA fans never truly warmed to Alford, and that impacted the general atmosphere around the program.

That's something that may not have gone unnoticed by Bennett in the event UCLA ever made a formal approach.

Another noteworthy UCLA Bruins alumnus threw his support behind Earl Watson replacing Steve Alford as the team's head coach.

Speaking with TMZ Sports, Baron Davis said he'd be willing to join Watson's staff and work for free if the school brought Watson aboard.

UCLA announced on Dec. 31 it had fired Alford, with Murry Bartow serving as the interim head coach.

The Bruins have yet to hire a permanent coach, and Watson would be a logical choice to take over. He played four years at UCLA and had a lengthy playing career before transitioning to coaching. Watson spent a total of 118 games as the Phoenix Suns' head coach.

Los Angeles Lakers point guard Lonzo Ball, who starred for a season at UCLA, echoed Davis' endorsement, telling reporters earlier this month he'd "like to see [Watson] get the job."

Davis' comments are unlikely to impact the result of UCLA's coaching search, but Watson's candidacy may start gaining more steam in the days and weeks ahead.

Panathinaikos head basketball coach Rick Pitino said Friday that he still has aspirations to return to the NBA.

When asked about rumors regarding whether he'd take over as UCLA's head coach, Pitino shifted the focus to the NBA but also made it clear he's enjoying his time in Greece, according to Dionysis Aravantinos of EuroHoops.net:

"When I left last year, I said I wanted to go back to the NBA, and that's why I took this job [at Panathinaikos], but right now to be honest, I'm not thinking of anything except trying to make the playoffs with this organization. It's not easy for a coach to come in and does not know the offense, defense and out of bounds plays. I have to find new ways, in order to win. I miss my family, but overall I am having a great time here. The owner has been great to me, and I am focused to be the coach here."

Adam Zagoria of Forbes reported Friday that "influential" UCLA boosters are targeting Pitino to become the next head coach of the Bruins.

Louisville fired the 66-year-old Pitino as its head basketball coach in 2017 after it was alleged that he knew about payments to recruit Brian Bowen to attend Louisville and represent Adidas upon turning pro.

Panathinaikos hired Pitino in December, and he is 2-1 in three games at the helm.

While Pitino is best known for leading Kentucky and Louisville to college basketball glory, he has extensive experience as an NBA head coach. The Basketball Hall of Famer was the New York Knicks' head coach for two seasons in 1987-88 and 1988-89 before he returned to the college ranks.

He was then the head coach of the Boston Celtics for parts of four seasons from 1997-98 through 2000-01.

In six NBA campaigns, Pitino posted a 192-220 record.

He made the playoffs in each of his two years with the Knicks and reached the second round in 1989, but he didn't make it to the postseason with the Celtics.

Success in the college ranks doesn't always translate to the NBA, but Pitino is regarded as one of the greatest coaches in basketball history, and if he can get the job done at Panathinaikos, it could go a long way toward convincing NBA teams that he is ready to return to the league.

If UCLA boosters get their way, Rick Pitino will be the next head coach for the Bruins basketball team. 

Per Forbes' Adam Zagoria, multiple "influential" UCLA boosters are targeting the Basketball Hall of Famer to take over the program. 

Casey Wasserman, whom Zagoria noted had a hand in the hiring of Chip Kelly as football coach, is among the boosters pushing for Pitino to be hired. 

UCLA is in the market for a new head coach after firing Steve Alford on Monday after a four-game losing streak dropped the team's record to 7-6. 

Pitino hasn't coached in the United States since being fired by Louisville in October 2017. The 66-year-old lost his job after being implicated in a pay-for-play investigation conducted by the FBI that resulted in four assistant coaches at four different schools and an Adidas executive being arrested. 

Panathinaikos B.C. of the EuroLeague hired Pitino as its head coach in December. He won his first game with the team on Dec. 28. 

UCLA fired men's basketball head coach Steve Alford on Monday after a 7-6 start.

On Thursday, UCLA hosted Stanford in its Pac-12 opener, and Dave Pasch and Bill Walton of ESPN had the call. Pasch asked Walton, a former UCLA star with two NCAA championships, who he thought the next Bruins coach should be.

Walton offered the following response:

What type of characteristics does Bill Walton think UCLA should look for in their next coach?

"Barack Obama"

(via @espn) pic.twitter.com/aegb8OYuhB

— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) January 4, 2019

Former United States President Barack Obama is an ardent basketball fan who plays pickup hoops. He filled out men's and women's Division I NCAA tournament brackets on ESPN in the Oval Office.

Obama's brother-in-law, Craig Robinson, was also the head coach at Brown and Oregon State for eight seasons. He is now the New York Knicks' vice president of player development and G League operations.

Obama does have eight years of experience as the 44th President of the United States, but basketball coaches have a better shot despite Walton's wishes.

Walton isn't immune to making off-the-beaten-path comments, as noted by Charles Curtis of For the Win and Colin Warren-Hicks of the Herald-Sun.

His remark Thursday was no exception, but at least Walton makes the broadcasts entertaining.

Los Angeles Lakers point guard Lonzo Ball stumped Wednesday for Earl Watson to become the next UCLA Bruins men's basketball head coach.

"I'd like to see [Watson] get the job," the former Bruins guard said, per the Los Angeles Times' Tania Ganguli.

According to Ganguli, Ball likes the fact Watson both played and coached in the NBA and that Watson has ties to the program from his days as a star guard for the Bruins.

UCLA announced Monday it had fired Steve Alford following a 7-6 start to the 2018-19 season. In what proved to be Alford's last game, the Bruins lost 73-58 at home to Liberty.

Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv reported Watson was among the candidates in the hunt to succeed Alford, with one source telling Zagoria that the 2001 alum "has been lobbying for the job all year."

The Undefeated's Marc J. Spears echoed that report, adding Watson "connects well with young players, has strong AAU ties," which would help him were he to coach UCLA.

Watson coached the Phoenix Suns for parts of three seasons. He replaced Jeff Hornacek midway through the 2015-16 season and remained in that role until the Suns fired him three games into the 2017-18 campaign. Phoenix was 33-85 under his watch.

It's unfair to hold the Suns' dreadful record against Watson too much, though. The franchise has long been a mess both on the court and in the front office. The Suns fired general manager Ryan McDonough in October, with the regular season starting in eight days.

Watson was an assistant for only two seasons—one year with the Suns and one year with the Austin Spurs of the then-D-League—before taking over for Hornacek. He might benefit from moving down to the college ranks.

Ball's comments illustrate how much respect the 39-year-old would immediately command at UCLA as well. A not insignificant chunk of the Bruins fanbase never warmed to Alford. The school would avoid making a similar mistake by targeting a familiar face such as Watson.