2015-16 UW Badger Basketball Discussion Thread

[DingleJerry]

If he truly wanted the job he wouldn't need to make it harder for UW to get him. It's also rumored that his dad and Barry didn't exactly get along well

[MickeyDavis]

I wonder how long Barry plans to stick around. Maybe after this hire next year he retires. He turns 69 in a couple of weeks. Richter was 64 when he stepped down.

[chonestown]

I still firmly believe that Bennett's dream job is UW. I think he'll be the hire. He's in a great situation right now, but UW is home.

It's not his dream job. He will not be the hire. UW is not home.

Dick Bennett considered UW his dream job and was disabused of that notion once he got it. Green Bay holds far more significance to Dick and Tony than Madison.

There will be reports that Tony is a legit candidate. These reports should be treated with the same respect one affords a recently-discharged turd.

This post is asinine. Where do you get your info, Mr. Insider?

It's not exactly a widely held secret. I'm not claiming to be BuckPack, so you can miss me with that.

Dean Smith is as likely to be the new Badger coach. For the record, I could not be a bigger admirer of Tony Bennett.

Any reporter linking UW and Tony Bennett is treading in the footsteps of Chris Broussard.

[Kerb Hohl]

When was the last time a high profile "prodigal son" returned? Sure, lukewarm national targets like Paul Chryst come back, but Wisconsin and all of its pro/college teams don't have the pull to get a superstar coach/player back.

Jordan Zimmermann, Shaka Smart, Tony Bennett, whomever. They're either going to go where the money is as a player or they're going to go to a higher profile job than UW or Marquette.

Bennett is at a better conference, better recruiting area, slightly better academic university, etc. Everyone has their own reasons, and maybe somebody else would have so much family presence in the area that they'd really want to come back, but it's always Bill Michaels or Sparky-caliber hot take sports fans that think these guys will drop everything and return home.

"Hey, did you know Shaka is from Wisconsin? Betcha didn't. Well I did! And I think he's going to come back and coach [Wisconsin or Marquette] because of this fact!" (Ignores fact that top 10 $ or pedigree programs are waiting to offer and in Shaka's case - he hated it).

[ReasonablySober]

Ya'll realize Shaka Smart is currently the head coach of Texas, right?

[Kerb Hohl]

Ya'll realize Shaka Smart is currently the head coach of Texas, right?

And?

This is stemming from people that thought he'd come to Wisconsin or Marquette or Minnesota 1-3 years ago.

[ReasonablySober]

Ya'll realize Shaka Smart is currently the head coach of Texas, right?

And?

This is stemming from people that thought he'd come to Wisconsin or Marquette or Minnesota 1-3 years ago.

"Hey, did you know Shaka is from Wisconsin? Betcha didn't. Well I did! And I think he's going to come back and coach [Wisconsin or Marquette] because of this fact!" (Ignores fact that top 10 $ or pedigree programs are waiting to offer and in Shaka's case - he hated it).

Maybe I'm just misunderstanding you, but a big time $ program came calling and Smart left. So I guess I don't know what you're getting at.

[DingleJerry]

Yea I think most everyone should know that. He's referencing for the last few years people have been saying he'd come back but in reality it had no shot. He was making more money at VCU than we would pay, plus his style would no way fit at UW with our academic standards. Just like there is next to no chance Bennett comes back now.

Again, have to remember UW is cheap. I'm fairly sure he was making more at VCU than Bo was here. Then TX probably trumped that big time. UW won't do that

[Kerb Hohl]

Ya'll realize Shaka Smart is currently the head coach of Texas, right?

And?

This is stemming from people that thought he'd come to Wisconsin or Marquette or Minnesota 1-3 years ago.

"Hey, did you know Shaka is from Wisconsin? Betcha didn't. Well I did! And I think he's going to come back and coach [Wisconsin or Marquette] because of this fact!" (Ignores fact that top 10 $ or pedigree programs are waiting to offer and in Shaka's case - he hated it).

Maybe I'm just misunderstanding you, but a big time $ program came calling and Smart left. So I guess I don't know what you're getting at.

That's exactly what I was getting at. He wouldn't go to one of the three schools I mentioned due to growing up in WI (or in MN's case, working with the AD previously) due to waiting for the elite elite $ or pedigree schools.

Name any other elite coaching or player prospect and they're either sitting it out at a mid-major or smaller contract waiting for a big offer or they've already taken a big offer. None of the Wisconsin sports teams has the pull to bring someone in over that.

Bennett is already a slight notch above UW in pay and conference. I'd imagine if UNC called him he may listen, but he's way beyond Wisconsin. Smart wasn't going to make a middling hop to UW that he didn't need to take. He could just wait for a bigger fish (and did).

[ReasonablySober]

And?

This is stemming from people that thought he'd come to Wisconsin or Marquette or Minnesota 1-3 years ago.

"Hey, did you know Shaka is from Wisconsin? Betcha didn't. Well I did! And I think he's going to come back and coach [Wisconsin or Marquette] because of this fact!" (Ignores fact that top 10 $ or pedigree programs are waiting to offer and in Shaka's case - he hated it).

Maybe I'm just misunderstanding you, but a big time $ program came calling and Smart left. So I guess I don't know what you're getting at.

That's exactly what I was getting at. He wouldn't go to one of the three schools I mentioned due to growing up in WI (or in MN's case, working with the AD previously) due to waiting for the elite elite $ or pedigree schools.

Name any other elite coaching or player prospect and they're either sitting it out at a mid-major or smaller contract waiting for a big offer or they've already taken a big offer. None of the Wisconsin sports teams has the pull to bring someone in over that.

I agree.

I don't know what kind of pull Wisconsin has on Bennett. My guess is not very much. That said, let's not act like Virginia is a program you stay at for life.

But I do think Wisconsin is enough of a powerhouse program that they should be able to take their pick from the country's top assistants and best smaller school program Head Coaches. That's not insignificant.

[tski1972]

I went to Junior High with Tony Bennett.

Sure, I was two grades behind him and he had no idea who I was, but thats not important. Maybe I'll get a hold of him and see what he thinks about coming home.

[DingleJerry]

My guess is Tony Bennett has his sites set on Duke when Coach K goes. Unless one of Ks assistants who have gotten head jobs do something big (which I don't think any have yet, but could be wrong), I think he could be the top choice for them.

[Kerb Hohl]

Maybe I'm just misunderstanding you, but a big time $ program came calling and Smart left. So I guess I don't know what you're getting at.

That's exactly what I was getting at. He wouldn't go to one of the three schools I mentioned due to growing up in WI (or in MN's case, working with the AD previously) due to waiting for the elite elite $ or pedigree schools.

Name any other elite coaching or player prospect and they're either sitting it out at a mid-major or smaller contract waiting for a big offer or they've already taken a big offer. None of the Wisconsin sports teams has the pull to bring someone in over that.

I agree.

I don't know what kind of pull Wisconsin has on Bennett. My guess is not very much. That said, let's not act like Virginia is a powerhouse you stay at for life.

But I do think Wisconsin is enough of a powerhouse program that they should be able to take their pick from the country's top assistants and best smaller school program Head Coaches. That's not insignificant.

I added another paragraph to add that Bennett is already a cut "above" UW. Even a small one. Unless he's dying to get home to see family there is no reason to take a step backwards.

In regard to your comment on getting top assistants, UW has generally been cheap and is looking for an assistant or HC on the rise, but one that will eventually be loyal. I'm assuming Archie Miller is waiting for IU or OSU anyways, but there's not much of a point of breaking the bank for a guy that is either going to fail or is going to jump to IU or something like that anyways.

They know what they are. They aren't Ohio State and they aren't Texas or USC of football. For the most part, they're not going to take a guy that they know is going to jump to one of those elite tier programs if he showcases 2 years of success.

[Licensed to Il]

It is not a secret that the administration at the time did not want Dick Bennet around long term. They were uncomfortable with the Bible studies that he would have with players. And they wanted to go in a new direction. I heard that from Soderberg and from Bennet first hand. In group speaking settings. I mean, the fact that Dick senior retired and then coached again a few short years after kind of affirms that he was pushed out before he was ready.

Tony of course stuck around for a bit, and is on record as having enjoyed his time in Madison. My wife knew his wife, and she liked it to.

Having said that, I think the notion of "coming home" and "home state" are kind of a media / sports radio creation. Tony is going to do what is best for his family and career, and if you factor in his time playing for Charlotte he has lived in the south almost as much as he has lived in Wisconsin.

I'm sure he would listen to an offer. But I really think he is in a better situation now, with even better offers in his future.

Despite recent success (two final fours) this is not an easy job. Great coaches are not lined up to take it.

[MartyConlonOnTheRun]

When was the last time a high profile "prodigal son" returned? Sure, lukewarm national targets like Paul Chryst come back, but Wisconsin and all of its pro/college teams don't have the pull to get a superstar coach/player back.

Jordan Zimmermann, Shaka Smart, Tony Bennett, whomever. They're either going to go where the money is as a player or they're going to go to a higher profile job than UW or Marquette.

Bennett is at a better conference, better recruiting area, slightly better academic university, etc. Everyone has their own reasons, and maybe somebody else would have so much family presence in the area that they'd really want to come back, but it's always Bill Michaels or Sparky-caliber hot take sports fans that think these guys will drop everything and return home.

"Hey, did you know Shaka is from Wisconsin? Betcha didn't. Well I did! And I think he's going to come back and coach [Wisconsin or Marquette] because of this fact!" (Ignores fact that top 10 $ or pedigree programs are waiting to offer and in Shaka's case - he hated it).

I agree with 90% of your post but 2 things: 1. I find it funny when the phrase prodigal son is used to refer to guys who weren't wasteful or reckless. 2. From everything I heard, Shaka was really, really really close to signing with MU and backed out at the last minute due to his wife.

[chonestown]

Have a feeling the Bo Ryan fallout is going to be a hell of a mess. Will be interesting to see how well the Head Turnip in Charge can deflect.

[DingleJerry]

It's kind of ironic in that Barry has some skeletons in the closet too when it comes to the same type of things. And Bielema was basically a drunk and a slimeball when it came to women as well. Yet this one might blow up. Frankly I don't think it should be a story, a rich man cheated on his wife? In other news, the sun rose in the East today.

[HaroldinGMinor]

It's kind of ironic in that Barry has some skeletons in the closet too when it comes to the same type of things. And Bielema was basically a drunk and a slimeball when it came to women as well. Yet this one might blow up.

In the age of Twitter, message boards, Barstoolsports, TMZ, Deadspin, etc. this sort of thing is impossible to hide.

[DingleJerry]

And for the most part the national media hates Bo so they are likely to run with it. You can find this on almost anyone if you look hard enough. Like I said, I don't believe any of the family bs these guys play up in the media as I assume all rich guys cheat on their wife. Of course some don't, but I just assume all do and accept that because why should anyone else even care. As a counter, the national media never ran with the Urban Meyer stuff when he left Florida, same thing basically but ESPN was in bed with Meyer as an analyst so...

[humanrefutation]

Um...am I missing something about Bo? I heard the same rumor that gets spouted every time a major coach departs unexpectedly (affair/pregnancy) but no one of any relevance is saying that.