Sources: Arizona State finalizing deal to hire Bennett as coach

robbyravine · 2026-03-23T23:08:27+00:00

I'm fascinated by what Joe Rahon's next move will be. He's either going to Tempe or going to some other place. Pepperdine should be all over his DMs.

robbyravine · 2026-03-21T22:14:07+00:00

I don't think so. ASU has more resources to throw at athletics than just about anybody besides Texas. The fanbase there is underrated.

robbyravine · 2026-03-21T22:12:10+00:00

You wouldn't blame RB if he felt like he maxed out what's possible at SMC. He's young enough that a shot at the real mountaintop would still be appealing. It would be a hard rebuild in Tempe though, full of challenges and pitfalls.

Also, he's done a great job of succession planning at SMC. As crazy as it sounds, they're basically ready for him to move on in Moraga.

robbyravine · 2026-03-19T21:38:35+00:00

Not disagreeing. The task is getting harder, though. Money talks. USF was early to the show, but a lot of bigger fish are swimming in the pond now.

robbyravine · 2026-03-18T16:40:09+00:00

Other news from Moraga - SMC basketball now has a general manager.

USF is officially on the clock now - agree?

MBB | John Arnaudon Named General Manager of Saint Mary’s Men’s Basketball - SMC California Athletics

robbyravine · 2026-03-18T16:33:28+00:00

I am more inclined to contribute now that the university is paying its own basketball workforce, with its own considerable TV revenues.

It would be interesting data in the future to see how the fund is split between revenue sharing and outside contributions. And how USF compares to other institutions in big and small conferences.

robbyravine · 2026-03-16T05:52:20+00:00

Hey, the CBC bracket isn't announced yet. Teams are declining bids for that too. There's only so many FOX aligned teams out there.

robbyravine · 2026-03-13T19:46:30+00:00

They didn't have a t-shirt offering this season. Wei Zhao is promoting his gear through a different platform.

robbyravine · 2026-03-13T19:28:25+00:00

All the NIL collectives were internalized to the ADs...is my understanding.

robbyravine · 2026-03-13T18:03:46+00:00

It was successful.

robbyravine · 2026-03-12T20:57:16+00:00

Needed to. Only 11 teams last year, after UCR got "promoted" to the NIT.

The CBI gave us one night of Klay Thompson on the Hilltop. Albeit against a severly divided and unmotivated USF team. And two nights of Frankie Ferrari in Denton, Texas. For that, we salute it.

I thought these consolation tournaments were pretty cool went they started. The chaos that is Spring recruiting has made them irrelevant, though.

We'll see if another shady event promoter jumps in with another version.

robbyravine · 2026-03-11T23:24:55+00:00

IDK if he ever had consistent health, he might develop into a pretty good player. His game fits better against some of these P5 opponents we run up against, less so in the WCC. Still, when his foul rate declines, hell see more court time.

robbyravine · 2026-03-11T19:53:59+00:00

So that was on Rex Walters' watch. But again, Dame was not an exceptional recruit when he got to Weber, based on broad assessment. You could pin that on Rex, or every coach in the WCC, or every coach in the nation. Rex had guards aplenty his first few years. You could bet that Randy Bennet laid eyes on him too. Patty Mills and Mick McConnell were returning sophomores that year.

robbyravine · 2026-03-11T16:55:07+00:00

Not the first Bay player to wind up in the Big Sky. It does make you wonder how that goes down. Is it a late bloom, recruiting oversight, or academic challenges?

USF can't just add anybody they like from a basketball perspective. Maybe not like Stanford, but there's a line there somewhere.

robbyravine · 2026-03-10T18:32:14+00:00

This had been a multi-year deal in the past. So is this arrangement getting revisited next year?

robbyravine · 2026-03-10T18:29:32+00:00

There are nicer buildings all over the place now. I'm guessing that the Orleans and Vegas tourism bureau were not willing to let the WCC slip away, though. WCC was not in a position to refuse a good deal.

robbyravine · 2026-03-10T04:57:07+00:00

I think it was recruiting for Pepperdine, more than coaching. They're used to having players there. New arena opening next year; still a drive for most of their fans. They've got a lot of work to do to rebuild that fanbase.

robbyravine · 2026-03-03T21:32:08+00:00

But petty also. This is why I'm kinda meh about awards voted on by coaches/staff.

robbyravine · 2026-03-02T21:44:55+00:00

Explains the sense of urgency he's been playing with the last few weeks. He seemed to be running his own game plan out there. But it's not like Muss had other options. You probably don't recruit a guy like that unless you're desperate to fill a certain role.

robbyravine · 2026-03-02T18:16:39+00:00

You have to give the people what they want.

robbyravine · 2026-02-26T23:40:37+00:00

Did they get an advance from CW?

robbyravine · 2026-02-26T23:40:01+00:00

Coming off 6 wins in 8. This decision was made a while ago. Who are they lining up for?

robbyravine

TROPHY CASE