Revisiting Positives, Potential Concerns of Potential Randy Bennett Hire
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TEMPE -- Arizona State men's basketball is set to have a new head coach - possibly as soon as Monday.
Local insider John Gambadoro has said as much, although there seems to be a clear leader in the clubhouse to become the 18th head coach in the history of the program.
A source notified ASU on SI on Saturday morning that the job is Saint Mary's head coach Randy Bennett's "if he wants it," which echoes the general trend of reporting that the 63-year old has been AD Graham Rossini's focus ever since Bobby Hurley departed on March 11.
Possible Bennett Hire Brings Plenty of Positives
- Elite floor-raising
Saint Mary's went from an unknown school in the Bay Area into a brand that is known by every locked-in college basketball fan over the last 25 years.
Several areas of strength that Bennett brings to the table contributed to that, which would put Arizona State in a position to finish in the middle of the Big 12 more consistently.
- High-level talent evaluation
Bennett has built quite the track record when it comes to evaluating talent in general, but particularly at the international level. Matthew Dellavedova (Australia) is the most notable of players to star for Bennett in Moraga, but the list doesn't end there.
Hurley had just started to tap into the international market over the final months as head coach in Tempe - with players such as Massamba Diop and Noah Meeusen potentially being ideal building blocks in an early tenure for Bennett, if a deal does become finalized.
- Defined direction/program culture
Bennett's hard-nosed, pack-line defensive philosophy has a high floor in a Big 12 that is set to be chalk-full of physical teams that have elite shotmaking ceilings. His offenses would be solid, if unspectacular - although there is an opportunity to shape his offenses around a player in a similar vein as PG Moe Odum.
There wouldn't be much question around where the Sun Devils can go under the leadership of one of the most steady and successful coaches of the last 25 years.
Potential Concerns Remain
- Will Bennett's offensive philosophy be sustainable in Big 12?
As touched on above, Bennett's offenses tend to heavily skew towards being surgical - prioritizing ball security, playing within structure, and generating efficient shot attempts as late in the shot clock as possible. This might become an issue in the Big 12, as programs such as Arizona, Iowa State, and Kansas have reliably been amongst the most potent offenses in division one over recent seasons.
There is a blueprint for score-first guards finding success in Tempe, with Odum serving as a bridge between exceptional playmaking and devastating shotmaking - could Bennett be more open to finding players that have the consistent ability to score out of structure with this possible move?
- What would Arizona State's NIL sphere look like?
Bennett has previously voiced hesitancy to fully commit to the NIL era, although moving to the power five level would likely force a change in philosophy.
Rossini being the major support system as far as building out program support is concerned would serve Bennett well, although the program still faces an uphill climb to compete with the best of the best in the conference.
- Will the partnership be long-term fixture?
Bennett's age (63) has led to some apprehension from the fanbase, however it would be difficult to see an agreement being reached if the veteran was unwilling to coach beyond a 2-or-3 year window.
Expect a potential marraige to last at least five years - and perhaps even longer.
Kevin Hicks is an Arizona State alumni and now serves as the Arizona State Beat Writer On SI.